Foreword

Dr Burton Conrod, Canada - President, FDI World Dental Federation, 2007-09

More and more people realise the importance of good oral health and how negative the impact of oral diseases can be on daily performance, social participation and general well being. Oral diseases are to a very large extent preventable, yet when they occur they can be among the most expensive to treat or cure. Despite the central role of the mouth as gateway to and mirror of the body, general knowledge about prevention of oral disease is limited. Health planners and politicians are often unaware of the magnitude and impact of oral diseases and believe dental treatment and preventive services are an optional luxury. Others think that oral care is just too costly for their health care system so often no budgets are allocated to this sector. Yet, simple, effective and evidence-based interventions exist that can help, in rich and poor countries alike, to reduce the burden of oral disease significantly.

"Oral health is a neglected area of international health" – these words of the Director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr Margret Chan, expressed during the landmark 120th session of the WHO's Executive Board in 2007, were a wake-up call for the international health community. They were also tremendous encouragement for us to continue the long-standing advocacy work of the FDI World Dental Federation.

Dental caries is the most common chronic non-communicable disease on the world but few people, even in public health, know about this fact. This Oral Health Atlas is intended to draw attention, in a graphic manner, to the huge burden of oral disease around the globe, highlighting the key risk factors, workforce issues, stakeholders and solutions. Hopefully, it will be used as a tool to demonstrate the problems and motivate health care providers, governments and the public to take action.

Oral health is subject to a number of key risk factors. Fortunately, avoiding these risk factors, such as high sugar consumption, poor nutrition, poor basic hygiene and tobacco use will also prevent many other serious health problems. Good oral health is nothing that we should take for granted. The recognition of oral health as a basic human right commits all of us, particularly the dental profession, to do everything possible to improve access to quality care and preventative programmes – for every citizen of the world!

This book provides a snapshot of the status and challenges of oral health globally. The Atlas clearly highlights the lack of current data in many areas important to oral health. I see this Atlas as the first edition of an important publication that will be updated periodically to capture and communicate the ever-changing picture of global oral health. I encourage FDI member associations and other organisations to translate the Oral Health Atlas in other languages to facilitate the dissemination of information.

The FDI World Dental Federation with its vision of "Leading the world to optimal oral health" is proud to present this atlas to the global audience. Please study and use it to help make the dream of "(Oral) Health for All" become reality.