(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim)
THE NEED for global action on oral health has received unprecedented attention.
This is because many oral diseases are preventable. However, oral diseases have high prevalence and a lifelong impact on people’s health.
Dental and oral health services are still not included in Universal Health Care in many countries, known to Filipinos the Philippine Health Insurance or PhilHealth. As it is, dental care and preventive services are often unaffordable.
An estimated 3.5 billion people worldwide have oral diseases, and according to the Global Burden of Disease Study; untreated dental caries in permanent teeth ranks first in prevalence among all diseases.
Severe gum disease ranks 6th, untreated dental caries or tooth decay in deciduous or primary teeth ranks 10th, and severe tooth loss ranks 36th.
In 2024, the first-ever global oral health meeting highlighted the goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030, with the launch of the Bangkok Declaration: No Health Without Oral Health.
Still, despite this policy trend regarding oral health in a global ageing society, âprogress remains far from satisfactory,â according to the FDI World Dental Federation’s (FDI) Oral Health for an Ageing Population Task Team. The FDI (FĂ©dĂ©ration Dentaire Internationale) represents the worldâs dental profession.
âOral disease is highly prevalent all worldwide, regardless of a nation’s economic development, and older adults are particularly susceptible. The need for universal access to oral health services is growing rapidly in low-, middle-, and high-income countries,â the FDI says in an editorial published in the International Dental Journal.
The editorial, âMaking the Right to Oral Health a Reality for Older Adultsâ, encourages researchers and policymakers to establish monitoring systems in each country and share this information globally. By analyzing this data, each country can effectively plan, implement, and improve its own oral healthcare programs, policies, and evaluation frameworks. This information can, in turn, be shared globally, feeding a cycle of continuous improvement.
The global oral health monitoring system represents a departure from the unidirectional model, which is characterized by a flow of information from high-income to low- and middle-income countries. Instead, it proposes a multidirectional information-sharing cycle designed to benefit all countries.
This approach, which accommodates natural variations among nations in the pace and method of adoption, is likely to be more efficient in the long term than promoting uniform goals with deadlines that are unachievable for most countries.
Dental professionals deliver preventive care, education and treatment at all stages of life, thereby contributing to the prevention and control of dental caries, periodontal disease, tooth loss and oral functional decline.
âWhen assessing, diagnosing and treating older adult patients, dental professionals must carefully consider each patient’s multimorbidity status and medication regimen, as well as assess their patientsâ physical and mental status,â the FDI editorial observes. âThey can then proceed to make an objective assessment of gradual changes in oral function due to ageing.â
Performing these assessments in outpatient dental clinics is insufficient to improve the early detection of oral functional decline among the elderly. Dental professionals must increasingly maintain close lines of communication with a variety of other healthcare professionals.
An effective way to achieve this is to develop comprehensive community healthcare networks that utilize collaborative assessment systems, or at the very least, information-sharing systems to integrate the efforts of dental clinics, nursing homes and families.
âAgeing cannot be stopped, and as society ages, the risk of healthcare-related injustices increases,â the FDI editorial continues. âTo combat this, dental professionals must cultivate a heightened awareness of social responsibility and their role in contributing to public health.â
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
