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National Periodontal Disease Project

Organized by Oral Health America in 2004, the National Periodontal Disease Coalition (NPDP) is a group of leading business people, health care practitioners, dentists, periodontists, practice management consultants, insurance companies, communications experts, dental industry executives, educators, and others committed to raising the profile of this most common but underrecognized infection in the mouth.

NPDP meets annually to discuss recent scientific developments, opportunities for visibility, and the promotion of periodontal health as an important factor in overall health and well being. Recent studies show linkages or associations between periodontal disease and systemic diseases, including complications of stroke, heart disease, pre term and low-weight births, diabetes, and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.

Most adults show signs of periodontal disease or gingival diseases. Severe periodontal disease affects about 14 percent of adults ages 45-54. Twenty-three percent of 65- to 75-year-olds have severe periodontal disease. (Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000.)

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Oral Health America improves public health by eliminating oral disease, especially for our most vulnerable citizens, by educating and empowering communities to provide access to care, and advocating for policies that create oral health parity.

     

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