From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report. 这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

A new report says nearly four-billion people have major tooth decay, or cavities. That number represents more than half of the world's population. Health officials are warning that failure to repair cavities can lead to social and emotional problems. 一份新的报告称，近40亿人有严重蛀牙。这一数字占到了世界人口的一半以上。卫生官员警告说，不修复蛀牙会导致社会和情感问题。

Wagner Marcenes is with the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. He led a team of researchers as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. About 500 researchers attempt to collect and examine studies about all major diseases. They used the information to estimate rates of the infection. Wagner Marcenes就职于伦敦大学玛丽皇后学院牙科研究所。他领导了一批研究人员参与了《2010年全球疾病负担研究》。大约500名研究人员试图收集和调查有关所有重大疾病的研究。他们使用这些信息来估算感染率。

The report says untreated tooth decay is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries. Professor Marcenes says cavities or holes in permanent teeth are also known as caries. 该报告表示，未治疗的蛀牙是291种重大疾病和伤害中最常见的一种。Marcenes教授表示，恒牙中的空腔或小孔也被称为龋齿。

"Caries is a chronic disease that shares the same risk factors as cancer, cardiovascular disease. What we're having now is an increase in disease from highly developed countries happening in sub-Saharan Africa and probably it will be in other areas of Africa, too." 他说，“龋齿是一种慢性病，和癌症、心血管疾病有着同样的风险因素。高度发达国家面临的疾病增长目前在撒哈拉以南非洲也发生了，可能在非洲其他地区也会发生。”

He says an increase in tooth decay in Africa could be a result of developing countries becoming more like Western nations. 他表示，非洲蛀牙增长可能是因为发展中国家变得越来越像西方国家。

"It is likely to be related to a change in diet. Our industrialized diet leads to chronic disease, which includes caries. And that may be the main explanation." 他说，“这可能和饮食习惯改变有关。我们的工业化饮食导致了慢性疾病，其中就包括蛀牙。这可能是主要原因。”

Western diets are rich in sugar, a leading cause of health problems in the mouth. In western countries, water supplies are treated with the chemical fluoride. Adding fluoride to the water makes teeth resistant to the bacteria that can cause tooth decay. 西方饮食富含糖，这是口腔健康问题的主要成因。在西方国家，供水经过氟化物处理。在水中添加氟化物使得牙齿可以抵抗能够引起蛀牙的细菌。

Wagner Marcenes says oral health problems can have a major effect on a person's quality of life. First, cavities make eating difficult. Second, people may change what they eat. They may eat softer foods that are not hard to chew. However, softer foods are often fattier foods. Wagner Marcenes表示，口腔健康问题会对人的生活质量产生重大影响。首先，蛀牙使得进食困难。其次，人们可能会改变自己的饮食。他们可能会吃较软的食物，这种食物不难嚼。然而，它通常是脂肪较高的食物。

But professor Marcenes says the biggest issue in tooth decay is both social and mental. He says the researchers found strong evidence that the mouth has a big influence on socialization. He says many people want to hide bad teeth. They smile less and communicate less. 但Marcenes教授表示，蛀牙的最大问题是社会和心理双方面的。他表示，研究人员发现了强有力的证据，口腔对社会化具有很大的影响。他说，很多人都想把蛀牙藏起来，他们就会笑得更少，沟通更少。

Wagner Marcenes is calling for an "urgent, organized, social response" to the widespread lack of oral health. He believes in a natural method to fight tooth decay by having a healthier diet. He is also calling for the development of new and less costly dental materials and treatments. Wagner Marcenes呼吁对口腔卫生的普遍缺乏采取紧急、有组织的、社会化的应对。他认为，对抗蛀牙的天然方法就是健康饮食。他还呼吁发展成本更低的新牙科材料和治疗办法。