A survey conducted by the Taipei Dental Association released yesterday showed that more than 4 million residents of the Greater Taipei area are at risk of periodontal disease.
“The problem lies in the fact that most people lack adequate knowledge of oral hygiene and do not clean their teeth properly,” said Lee Yang-chun (李楊鈞) of the dental association.
Lee said that while a person in Japan would still have about 20 teeth when they reach 80 years old, in Taiwan, people's teeth start falling out when they turn 50.
The survey also showed that less than 20 percent of people brush their teeth after meals, while only 40 percent spend more than three minutes brushing their teeth.
While about 80 percent of respondents said they do not have oral health issues, the same number of people were diagnosed as being in need of dental treatment after examination by a dentist.
The association worked with officials from Taipei City's Department of Health in conducting the survey, collecting 2,500 valid samples.
The survey's findings also matched those from the Bureau of Health Promotion, which showed 99 percent of those aged 18 and above have either minor or severe periodontal disease.
The bureau's statistics showed that those aged 45 and older have on average between 18 and 24 teeth, and the older the patient, the greater the rate of tooth loss.
Lin Shih-rong (林世榮), chairman of the association, said members have also observed that they are now treating many more younger patients than in previous years and that they are likely to have inherited the disease.
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