Dental caries, an infection? Rural population awareness regarding dental caries:An exploratory study through perspective of a midwestern pediatric practice.

Dental caries is the most common infectious disease globally and locally here in United States affecting all ages leading to significant morbidity. The world wide economic burden is close to $298 billion. Water fluoridation has been responsible for significant reduction but not enough. The awareness that dental caries is a proven contagious infectious disease spreading by activities where saliva get transmitted like kissing, sharing food, pacifiers, utensils etc might help to change or eliminate these practices hold promise to further reduce the disease burden. This study found that this awareness is significantly lacking among all strata, all levels of education including healthcare workers. This gap of information transfer needs to be addressed at point of care outlets both general and dental health care. There is a need to study it further as to why it is not taking place as well as what can be done to make it happen.