Posted: May 31, 2012 4:02 AM May 31, 2012 -- There are fewer
cavities in the United States today than there were two decades
ago, the CDC reports, but not every population group has shown
the same amount of improvement. According to new estimates
released today, at least 1 in 5 Americans has one or more
untreated cavities, and the poorer you are, the more likely you
are to be one of the untreated 20%, at least among adults. Non-
Hispanic blacks and Mexican-Americans accounted for a large
number of those not receiving care for their cavities, also
known as dental caries. More than 60% of African-Americans had
lost at least one tooth, compared to just under 50% of whites
and Mexican-Americans. "Dental caries both untreated and treated
and tooth loss are key indicators of oral health and are used to
monitor oral health status in the United States and
internationally," the authors write. The National Center for
Health Statistics, a division of the CDC, prepared the report
using data from the National Health and Nu