Give the gift of oral health this #GivingTuesday

Oral health has long been a problem on the reservation:

• Native Americans suffer from the poorest oral health of any population in the U.S.
• 2.4 million Native Americans suffer from poor oral health because of a lack of available dentists
• Preschool-aged Native American children had four times more cases of untreated tooth decay than white children - 43% vs 11%
• 40% of children and nearly 60% of adults on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota suffer from moderate to urgent dental needs

Tooth decay in children 0-5 years of age is the most common health problem for Native children — 5 times more common than asthma. If left untreated, tooth decay can have serious consequences — affecting a child's growth, causing pain and potentially life-threatening infection, and ultimately diminishing a child's overall quality of life.

Tooth decay can be due to lack of running water or contaminated water, lack of available dentists, and poor diet. A big part of proper oral hygiene is a diet that is low in sugar and refined carbohydrates which is hard to come by in a food desert like most of the reservations.

Poor dental health in adults can lead to life-threatening risks such as heart disease and stroke, dementia, respiratory conditions, diabetes, cancer, and more.

Join us, and hundreds of other caring friends like you, and give a healthy smile to a Native Elder or child in need on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. Your gift of just $30 can provide two dental hygiene kits complete with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash.