Oral health is health: Better access to dental care may have potential benefits beyond Canadians' mouths

Because oral health is linked to overall health, dental care needs to be viewed as an integral part of health care. (Shutterstock)

Oral diseases, particularly dental decay and periodontal (gum) diseases, are largely preventable, yet are some of the most common non-communicable diseases around the world. Pain due to untreated dental decay impacts eating and sleep quality, among other essential functions. Indeed, the agonizing nature of dental pain earned it the title of “the hell of all diseases” more than 200 years ago.