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

Overview

Oral health describes health of teeth and the craniofacial complex. Despite great improvements in the oral health of populations in several countries, global problems still persist. Dental caries (tooth decay) affects 60-90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults. It is also the most prevalent oral disease in several Asian and Latin American countries. ¹ The burden of oral disease is particularly high for the disadvantaged and poor population groups in both developing and developed countries. ²

Oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, tooth loss, oral mucosal lesions, oropharyngeal cancers, HIV/AIDS-related oral disease, and orodental trauma, are worldwide major public health problems. In addition, poor oral health has a profound effect on general health and quality of life in individuals. ³

The diversity in patterns of oral disease and their trends across countries and regions reflects distinct risk profiles and the establishment of preventive oral health care programmes. Socio-behavioural and environmental factors have an important role in oral health and disease. ⁴

In addition to poor living conditions, the major risk factors for poor oral health relate to unhealthy lifestyles (i.e. poor diet, nutrition and oral hygiene, and use of tobacco and alcohol), and limited availability and accessibility of oral health services. Indeed, several oral diseases are linked to non-communicable chronic diseases primarily because of common risk factors; for example, severe periodontal disease is associated with diabetes. ¹ Poor oral health is not confined to low-income countries. By the age of 3, over 60% of children from areas of deprivation in Scotland have a form of dental disease. ¹

Many countries, including those in the UK, acknowledge that oral health is a vital component of public health. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2003, Primary Care Trusts in England were given responsibilities to assess local oral health needs and to commission services to tackle long-standing oral health inequalities. ⁵ For the first time since the foundation of the NHS, primary care dentists can focus on prevention and health promotion, as well as treatment, within their contracts with the NHS. ⁵

Despite the overall improvement, however, the latest UK Adult Dental Health Survey of 1998 still highlights inequalities that are strongly associated with social background, particularly in social classes III and IV and in areas of deprivation. ⁶