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52 SEP / OCT 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ORAL HEALTH 5 Burgard SA, Lin KY Bad Jobs, Bad Health? How Work and Working Conditions Con- tribute to Health Disparities. Am Behav Sci. 2013;57(8):10.1177/0002764213487347. doi:10.1177/0002764213487347 6 Moore D, Keat R. Does dental appearance im- pact on employability in adults? A scoping re- view of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Br Dent J (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415- 020-2025-5 7 Andermann A; CLEAR Collaboration. Taking action on the social determinants of health in clinical practice: a framework for health pro- fessionals. CMAJ. 2016;188(17-18):E474-E483. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160177 8 ADA.org Oral Health and Well-being report. Downloaded July 21, 2021. https://www.ada . org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Re- search/HPI/OralHealthWell-Being-StateFacts/ US-Oral-Health-Well-Being.pdf?la=en 9 Choi SE, Sima C, Pandya A. Impact of Treating Oral Disease on Preventing Vascular Diseases: A Model-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Periodontal Treatment Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2020 Mar;43(3):563-571. doi: 10.2337/dc19-1201. Epub 2019 Dec 27. PMID: 31882408 10 NHE Fact Sheet. CMS.gov downloaded on 7,21,2021. https://www.cms.gov/Research-Sta- tistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends- and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/ NHE-Fact-Sheet 11 Healthy People 2020. Downloaded 7.21.2021. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics- objectives/topic/oral-health 12 Healthy People 2030. Downloaded 7.21.202 1https://health.gov/healthypeople/ objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/oral- conditions 13 WHO declares oral health a global health priority. M. Busch, DrBicuspid.com Down- loaded 7.21.2021. https://www.drbicuspid.com/ index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=bai&pag=dis&Item ID=328658 with diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. Utilizing data, the simulation model found expanding periodontal treatment among pa- tients with these conditions would be cost- saving or cost-effective in all of the sub- groups evaluated. 9 Given all three of these diseases are chronic and have common risk factors, this approach seems logical to use for treatment plans in the future. Ninety percent of the nation’s $3.8 trillion annual healthcare expenditures in 2019 were for people with chronic and mental health conditions, which includes dental disease. 10 The good news is that several major national and international initiatives have emerged to reduce the incidence of dental disease in adults. Healthy People 2020 identified oral health as one of the 10 leading health indicators. The current goal is to improve oral health by in- creasing access to oral healthcare, including preventive services. 11 Number six of Healthy People 2030’s objectives for oral health is to reduce the proportion of adults aged 45 years or older with moderate or severe periodonti- tis, a disease linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, 4 adverse pregnancy outcomes, 5 atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, 6 rheumatoid arthritis, 7 Alzheimer’s disease, 8 chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, 9 nonalcoholic fatty liver disease 10 and others. 12 In May 2021, the World Health Organiza- tion (WHO) approved a resolution placing achieving better oral health back on the glob- al agenda. The WHO committee acknowl- edged the huge global burden of oral disease and the importance of oral health in overall health and well-being. 13 Chronic disease impacts public health significantly in quality of life, life span and healthcare costs. The focus is prevention and acknowledging how dental disease affects chronic disease. Periodontitis is the dental condition most frequently correlated with chronic systemic diseases. Prevention is es- sential for oral and overall health, as dental “We all know that good oral health and overall health are priceless. However, we live in a world where healthcare comes at a high cost. Even so, neglect is the costliest option one can choose.” disease can be prevented and treated in the early stages when identified. We all know that good oral health and overall health are priceless. However, we live in a world where healthcare comes at a high cost. Even so, neglect is the costliest option one can choose. To combat health inequity and increase access to care, awareness re- garding the association between dental con- ditions and chronic diseases is key. This fact presents all healthcare providers potential opportunities for medical-dental integra- tion in delivery of care. After all, one cannot achieve good overall health without good oral health. n REFERENCES 1 Madans H. Periodontal disease cost U.S. $154B in 2018. June 10, 2021. DrBicuspid https://www. drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=hyg &pag=dis&ItemID=328719 2 Huang SS, Veitz-Keenan A, McGowan R, Nie- derman R. What is the societal economic cost of poor oral health among older adults in the United States? A scoping review. Gerodontol- ogy. 2021 Mar 14. doi: 10.1111/ger.12548. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33719086. 3 The Many Costs (Financial and Well-Being) of Poor Oral Health. Downloaded July 21, 2021; https://dentistry.uic.edu/news-stories/the- many-costs-financial-and-well-being-of-poor- oral-health/ 4 Kelekar U, Naavaal S. Hours Lost to Planned and Unplanned Dental Visits Among US Adults. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:170225. DOI: http:// dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.170225external icon