The ongoing fight for population oral health

Oral diseases are the most widespread health conditions, with nearly half of the world's population living with one or more of them, spanning from young children to older adults. 1 WHOGlobal oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240061484Date: Nov 18, 2022 Date accessed: March 15, 2024 Google Scholar Despite important progress made until the early 1990s, no clear improvement has been reported in the past three decades. 2 Institute for Health Metrics and EvaluationGBD 2019 results. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/Date accessed: March 5, 2023 Google Scholar Behind epidemiological data, there are unheard personal stories of pain and suffering caused by oral diseases, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and among marginalised groups around the world. People report a wide range of negative consequences of oral diseases in their daily activities, physical health, and mental health. 3 Guarnizo-Herreño C, Stennett M, Ross A, et al. Unheard voices on oral health: qualitative research with disadvantaged communities. IADR General Session & Exhibition; March 13–16, 2024 (abstr 2864). Google Scholar