A statewide survey indicates millions of Missourians wait until it hurts so much they HAVE to to the dentist. Dentists think we should let them check our teeth twice a year. But a survey for the Missouri Dental Association indicates Missourians aren’t so good about doing that. It shows 80% of Missouri adults know they should have regular dental checks but only 58% do. One fourth of those adults surveyed have gone two years or more without a visit to a dentist’s office.
We know we should—the survey says half of Missourians know there might be a link between bad mouth health and diabetes, heart disease, and bacterial pneumonia because of the bacteria from the mouth that can enter the bloodstream and cause those other problems.
And why don’t Missourians get a mouth checkup every six months? Affordability, say 34 percent of those responding to the survey; lack of insurance say 39 percent.