The Economic Rationale for a Global Commitment to Invest in Oral Health - White Paper 2024

"More than 80 years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) asserted that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being.” At that time, and even today, too few clinicians outside of the dental profession would include oral health in any definition of a “standard of health,” reflecting an age-old separation of oral health from medicine and general health that has compromised efforts to stem the tide of oral disease and keep people healthy.

As this white paper reports, almost half the world’s population is impacted by oral diseases that interfere with daily function and put them at higher risk of and from other systemic illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, heart and respiratory diseases, and even some cancers. The cost of oral diseases is staggering, with estimates putting the direct treatment costs plus productivity losses at more than $710 billion each year. Investing in oral health pays dividends in the form of better oral health and well-being, improved overall health and economic growth. Yet oral health has remained a neglected global health challenge – until now.

A global consensus is gaining ground that oral health is integral to overall health, and critical to our ability to live healthy and productive lives. A tipping point came in 2022 with the adoption of the WHO’s landmark global strategy on oral health, with the nations of the world formally recognizing that: “The personal consequences of untreated oral diseases and conditions – including physical symptoms, functional limitations, stigmatization and detrimental impacts on emotional, economic and social well-being – are severe and can affect families, communities and the wider healthcare system."

Read more and access the White Paper HERE or by clicking on the image below.