The Dental Health Foundation is delighted to see that the Global Oral Health Status Report (GOHSR) has been launched by the World Health Organization. You can read the Executive Summary HERE
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General World Health Organization, states that ‘oral health has long been neglected in the global oral agenda.’
The report is another part of the WHO’s series of reports regarding oral health and follows the World Health Assembly Strategy resolution and the Global Strategy on Oral Health in providing a comprehensive picture of the burden of oral disease.
The report highlights oral health and its risk factors as a major public health challenge that needs to be addressed. It further highlights the links between oral diseases and other non-communicable diseases.
Of great interest is the Oral Health Country Profile for Ireland which provides data on the prevalence of oral diseases such as untreated caries, severe periodontal disease and edentulism. It also shines a light on the figures for lip and oral cavity cancer for all ages.
Figures around the prevalence of tobacco use and per capital alcohol consumption show that there is still much to do in reducing these unhealthy lifestyles choices – especially for men - as these are the two main risk factors for mouth head and neck cancer.
Water fluoridation at the appropriate level, is described as a safe, cost-effective public health measure for the prevention of caries and a population-based strategy which reduces inequalities. This is good news for Ireland, where community water fluoridation is in situ since 1964.
The WHO states that the use of fluoride toothpaste for twice daily tooth brushing is a simple effective way of topical fluoride delivery in also preventing tooth decay.
The Dental Health Foundation has designed and developed oral health resources for all ages, which are freely available on our website. These resources are a great support for all health professionals and dental teams in empowering the public with evidence informed advice.
We are committed to increasing oral health awareness and providing the knowledge and tools to help people look after their teeth, mouths and overall health and wellbeing.