NORMAN, Okla. - Halitosis and yellow teeth aren't exactly going to get you noticed for the right reasons in college.
The frequency of mouth diseases in college students can increase owing to lack of time, poor diet and poor health care.
Drinking too much alcohol doesn't help, either.
Its effects include an increase in tooth decay, increase in the likelihood of gum disease and increased irritation of the mouth, according to www.dentalgentlecare.com.
Goddard Health Center in Oklahoma does not offer dentistry services to students and, therefore, students lucky enough to have University of Oklahoma health insurance aren't going to get dentistry for free, or even at an affordable rate.
Students with no health insurance don't even stand a chance of getting dentistry at an affordable price.
It seems that a health center designed to serve students would offer all the services students would need.
We can see a doctor if we're sick, see a physical therapist if we're sore and see a counselor if we're depressed.
And yet we can't access a dentist if our mouth is swollen, red and pus-filled.
It might be easy to say that students should just take care of their teeth to avoid any problems.
But brushing and flossing twice a day doesn't take away the pain when wisdom teeth are fighting their way into our mouths, as is common in the late teens and early 20's, and it certainly isn't going to help if we chip a tooth.
Every student is, of course, responsible for his or her own oral health and should be diligent in caring for it.
But sometimes seeing a dentist is unavoidable and having one on campus would be an enormous benefit.
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