World Oral Health Day is observed annually on March 20th. It was launched on the 20th of March 2013 by FDI World Dental Federation and it’s dedicated to raising global awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene so that governments, health associations and the general public can work together to achieve healthier mouths and happier lives.
Of the world’s population, 90% will suffer from oral diseases in their lifetime, many avoidable. Organized by FDI World Dental Federation, World Oral Health Day involves campaigns by national dental associations from around the world with activities in over 130 countries.
Did you know?
- Oral diseases pose a major health burden for many countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.
- These diseases share common risk factors with other major noncommunicable diseases.
- Factors contributing to oral diseases are an unhealthy diet high in sugar, use of tobacco and harmful use of alcohol.
- It is estimated that oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people.
- Untreated dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth is the most common health condition according to the Global Burden of Disease 2017.
- More than 530 million children suffer from dental caries of primary teeth (milk teeth).
- Severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, is also very common, with almost 10% of the global population affected.
- Oral cancer (cancer of the lip or mouth) is one of the three most common cancers in some countries of Asia and the Pacific.
- Most low- and middle-income countries are unable to provide services to prevent and treat oral health conditions.
- Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Oral_Health_Day