• Overview
• Definition
• Incidence, prevalence and trends
• Risk factors
• Health consequences
• Costs
• Contributors

Definition

Oral health

Oral health refers to the health of the craniofacial complex, which comprises the oral, dental and craniofacial tissues. Having good oral health is being free of chronic or facial pain, oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancer, oral tissue lesions, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, and other diseases and disorders that affect the craniofacial complex.

Oral disease

Pain, infection and tooth loss are the most common consequences of oral disease, but they can lead to destruction of soft tissues in the mouth and, in rare cases, death. Oral disease most prevalent in children is tooth decay, and in adults tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease.

Oral disorders

Oral disorders cause difficulties with chewing, swallowing and speech. They can also disrupt sleep and productivity. Oral disorders can affect the way a person looks and sounds ¹ , with a significant impact on self-esteem, psychological and social wellbeing, employment, interpersonal relations and quality of life. One example of an oral disorder, tooth loss from gum disease, is directly associated with deteriorating diet and comprised nutrition. ^{2 3}

According to the NHS National Library (http://www.library.nhs.uk/), the major oral health disorders include:

• Dental anxiety
• Dental caries
• Dento-facial anomalies
• Dental injuries
• Impacted third molars
• Oral cancer
• Oro-facial pain
• Oral cysts
• Oral infections
• Periodontal disease