Noncommunicable diseases

Washington Post Health and Science

Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, cancer, and lung diseases are on the rise and account for 63% of all deaths and that number is on the rise. These are driven by behavioral activities such as smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption. These ailments affect poor nations as well as rich ones. However, wealthy nations such as ours have greater resources to combat these problems through education and the future for the creation of a social movement for change may be the ticket. Not mentioned in the article, but paramount to this change, is the awareness of oral health. A visit to the dentist is not for “just a cleaning”. The mouth is the portal to the body systems and gum disease detection, prevention, and oral cancer screenings are an integral part to future good health.