Severe periodontal diseases are estimated to affect around 19% of the global adult population, representing more than 1 billion cases worldwide. In its more severe form, the gum can come away from the tooth and supporting bone, causing teeth to become loose and sometimes fall out. The disease is characterized by bleeding or swollen gums (gingivitis), pain and sometimes bad breath. Periodontal disease affects the tissues that both surround and support the teeth. A continued high intake of free sugars, inadequate exposure to fluoride and a lack of removal of plaque by toothbrushing can lead to caries, pain and sometimes tooth loss and infection. Dental caries (tooth decay)ĭental caries results when plaque forms on the surface of a tooth and converts the free sugars (all sugars added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices) contained in foods and drinks into acids that destroy the tooth over time. Marketing of food and beverages high in sugar, as well as tobacco and alcohol, have led to a growing consumption of products that contribute to oral health conditions and other NCDs. This is primarily due to inadequate exposure to fluoride (in the water supply and oral hygiene products such as toothpaste), availability and affordability of food with high sugar content and poor access to oral health care services in the community. Prevalence of the main oral diseases continues to increase globally with growing urbanization and changes in living conditions. Globally, an estimated 2 billion people suffer from caries of permanent teeth and 514 million children suffer from caries of primary teeth. The WHO Global Oral Health Status Report (2022) estimated that oral diseases affect close to 3.5 billion people worldwide, with 3 out of 4 people affected living in middle-income countries. Other oral conditions of public health importance are orofacial clefts, noma (severe gangrenous disease starting in the mouth mostly affecting children) and oro-dental trauma. Most cases are dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers. Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages.
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