Poor Oral Health Leads to Social and Emotional Problems

A new report says nearly four-billion people have major tooth decay, or cavities. That number represents more than half of the world's population. Health officials are warning that failure to repair cavities can lead to social and emotional problems.

一份新的报告说，将近40亿人有严重的蛀牙或蛀牙。这个数字占世界人口的一半以上。卫生官员警告说，不能修复蛀牙会导致社会和情感问题。

Wagner Marcenes is with the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. He led a team of researchers as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. 

瓦格纳·马塞内斯是伦敦大学玛丽女王牙科研究所的一员。作为2010年全球疾病负担研究的一部分，他领导了一个研究小组。

About 500 researchers attempt to collect and examine studies about all major diseases. They used the information to estimate rates of the infection. 

大约500名研究人员试图收集和检查所有主要疾病的研究。他们利用这些信息来估计感染率。

The report says untreated tooth decay is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries. Professor Marcenes says cavities or holes  in permanent teeth are also known as caries.

报告说，未经治疗的蛀牙是291种主要疾病和伤害中最常见的。马塞内斯教授说，恒牙的洞或洞也被称为龋齿。

"Caries is a chronic disease that shares the same risk factors as cancer, cardiovascular disease. What we're having now is an increase in disease from highly developed countries happening in sub-Saharan Africa and probably it will be in other areas of Africa, too." 

龋病是一种慢性疾病，与癌症、心血管疾病有着相同的危险因素。我们现在面临的是撒哈拉以南非洲高度发达国家的疾病增加，而且可能也会出现在非洲其他地区。”

He says an increase in tooth decay in Africa could be a result of developing countries becoming more like Western nations. 

他说，非洲蛀牙的增加可能是发展中国家变得更像西方国家的结果。

"It is likely to be related to a change in diet. Our industrialized diet leads to chronic disease, which includes caries. And that may be the main explanation."

“这可能与饮食的改变有关。我们的工业化饮食导致慢性病，包括龋病。这可能是主要的解释。”

Western diets are rich in sugar, a leading cause of health problems in the mouth. In western countries, water supplies are treated with the chemical fluoride. Adding fluoride to the water makes teeth resistant to the bacteria that can cause tooth decay.

西方饮食富含糖分，是口腔健康问题的主要原因。在西方国家，供水是用化学氟化物处理的。在水中加入氟化物可以使牙齿抵抗导致蛀牙的细菌。

Wagner Marcenes says oral health problems can have a major effect on a person's quality of life.

瓦格纳·马塞内斯说，口腔健康问题会对一个人的生活质量产生重大影响。

First, cavities make eating difficult. Second, people may change what they eat. They may eat softer foods that are not hard to chew. However, softer foods are often fattier foods.

首先，蛀牙使进食困难。第二，人们可能会改变他们吃的东西。他们可能会吃一些不难咀嚼的较软的食物。然而，较软的食物往往是较胖的食物。

But professor Marcenes says the biggest issue in tooth decay is both social and mental. He says the researchers found strong evidence that the mouth has a big influence on socialization. 

但马塞内斯教授说，蛀牙的最大问题是社会和心理两方面。他说，研究人员发现有力的证据表明，嘴巴对社会化有很大的影响。

He says many people want to hide bad teeth. They smile less and communicate less. 

他说很多人都想把坏牙藏起来。他们微笑少，交流少。

Wagner Marcenes is calling for an "urgent, organized, social response" to the widespread lack of oral health. 

瓦格纳·马塞内斯呼吁对普遍缺乏口腔健康做出“紧急、有组织的社会反应”。

He believes in a natural method to fight tooth decay by having a healthier diet. He is also calling for the development of new and less costly dental materials and treatments.

他相信有一种天然的方法，通过健康的饮食来对抗蛀牙。他还呼吁开发新的、成本更低的牙科材料和治疗方法。