Oral health

Oral health is essential to overall health, well-being, and quality of life across the life course. It enables us to eat, speak and socialize in the community. Most oral diseases are preventable and can be treated in their early stages.  Through reducing risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diets high in free sugars, many oral diseases and leading noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, can be prevented.

The burden of oral diseases is high in the Western Pacific Region. In 2019, an estimated 800 million people or 42% or the population were affected by oral diseases, including untreated dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal (gum) diseases, and tooth loss.

Oral health promotion and oral disease prevention should be integrated with other noncommunicable disease prevention programmes that share common risk factors and social determinants. Also, integrating oral health services in primary health care is essential to provide more equitable access to comprehensive care.

The most common oral diseases are dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal (gum) diseases, and oral cancer.

Dental caries results from plaque that forms on a tooth surface and converts the free sugars from foods and drinks into acids that case a breakdown of tooth enamel over time. Unhealthy diets, including continuous consumption of free sugars, and poor oral hygiene lacking fluoride exposure and toothbrushing to remove plaque can lead to dental caries. Pain, infection and tooth loss can also result if not treated early.

Periodontal disease includes gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis causes swollen, painful or bleeding gums and bad breath. In its more severe form, periodontitis causes a loss of connective tissue and bones resulting in tooth loss. The main causes of periodontal disease include poor oral hygiene and tobacco use.

Oral cancer is cancer that develops in the lip and all parts of the oral cavity, and oropharynx. The initial symptoms include a persistent ulceration, pain, swelling, bleeding of the soft tissue, and difficulty in eating or speaking. The risk factors include tobacco use, areca nuts or betel quid chewing, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Other oral diseases include cleft lip and palate, oral manifestation of HIV, and oro-dental trauma.

Most oral diseases are preventable. Oral health promotion and oral disease prevention, such as national oral health campaigns, can be cost-effective and reach wider populations.

However, investments in oral health are limited. According to the WHO Country Capacity Survey conducted in 2019, half of countries in the Western Pacific do not have an oral health policy, strategy or action plan. Moreover, oral health services are often not covered within universal health coverage benefit packages. Basic prevention methods, such as toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste are not affordable or widely available, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Since the Western Pacific Region has one of the largest and fastest growing older populations, oral health promotion should be accelerated in all countries to support healthy ageing.

In 2021, Member States adopted an oral health resolution which recommends that countries shift their approach from focusing mostly on treating and curing oral health diseases towards prevention through promoting good oral hygiene, healthy eating and regular dental visits. This shift will contribute to addressing key risk factors of oral diseases and noncommunicable diseases in the Region.

WHO in the Western Pacific assists Member States by advocating for oral health, providing technical support on development and implementation of national oral health policies, and supporting inclusion of oral health services into universal health coverage benefit packages.