World Oral Health Day 2013

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Only 42 days to go until the WHOD.

A day to remember
World Oral Health Day is celebrated every year on 20 March. It reminds us that healthy teeth, gums and mouth play a crucial role in our ability to work or study without constant, nagging and painful toothache, in our self confidence and in the health of our whole body,

World Oral Health Day 2013
The theme of World Oral Health Day 2013 is ‘Healthy Teeth for Healthy Life’. It reflects the major contribution oral health makes to our lives. Around the world, FDI member dental associations, schools, companies and other groups will be able to celebrate the day with events organized under the single, unifying and simple message.

Raising awareness
World Oral Health Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage individuals, families, communities and governments to take measures to lower the incidence of oral disease.

Taking action
World Oral Health Day offers the dental and oral health community a platform for action: working together, we can prevent the epidemic of caries, gum diseases and tooth loss and help our communities maintain a solid dentition for life.

Since 2007
Communities around the world have been celebrating World Oral Health Day since 2008. This followed a decision to create the special celebratory day at the 2007 FDI Annual World Dental Congress (AWDC) in Dubai. The chosen date was 12 September, corresponding to the birthday of FDI founder Charles Godon. Later, practical reasons allied to event planning and organization led FDI leadership to change the date to 20 March.
Prevention and care
The first line of oral health care is with individual through prevention, especially good brushing habits, and regular check-ups. When necessary, the dental profession and dental team are in a position to offer state-of-the-art services to an increasingly large proportion of the population. Orthodontic treatment, dental implants and aesthetic dentistry play an important role in improving quality of life and the health of the general population.

The burden of oral disease
Nevertheless, in many countries, the burden of oral disease and its devastating cost to families and societies is still underestimated. Oral diseases are among the most common chronic diseases. Worldwide, 90% of the population is at risk from some form of disorder, ranging from caries, periodontal diseases and tooth decay to oral cancer.