Thread by @WHO

Today is World #OralHealth Day.
Oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people.
They cause:
🔴 pain
🔴 discomfort
🔴 disfigurement
🔴 and even death

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Treatment for #OralHealth conditions is expensive and usually not part of Universal Health Coverage.
In most high-income countries, dental treatment averages 5% of total health expenditure and 20% of out-of-pocket health expenditure.

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Most low- and middle-income countries are unable to provide services to prevent and treat #OralHealth conditions.

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Factors contributing to oral diseases are:
🔻 unhealthy diet high in sugar
🔻 use of tobacco
🔻 harmful use of alcohol
🔻 inadequate exposure to fluoride
Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages.
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Around 20% of people suffer from trauma to teeth at some point in their life.
Oro-dental trauma can be caused by oral factors such as lack of alignment of 🦷 & environmental factors such as unsafe playgrounds, risk-taking behaviour & violence. #OralHealth
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Most oral diseases and conditions share modifiable risk factors common to the four leading noncommunicable diseases:
🔷 cardiovascular disease
🔷 cancer
🔷 chronic respiratory disease
🔷 diabetes
#OralHealth
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Oral diseases disproportionally affect the poor and socially-disadvantaged members of society. There is a very strong and consistent association between socioeconomic status (income, occupation and educational level) and the prevalence and severity of oral diseases.
#OralHealth

The burden of oral diseases can be ⬇️ through public health interventions by:
✔️promoting a well-balanced diet
✔️stopping use of all forms of tobacco
✔️reducing alcohol consumption
✔️encouraging use of protective equipment when doing sports & travelling on bicycles & motorcycles