Key facts
Oral diseases, while largely preventable, pose a major health burden for many countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.It is estimated that oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people.
Untreated dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth is the most common health condition according to the Global Burden of Disease 2019.Treatment for oral health conditions is expensive and usually not part of universal health coverage (UHC).Most low- and middle-income countries do not have sufficient services available to prevent and treat oral health conditions.Oral diseases are caused by a range of modifiable risk factors common to many noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including sugar consumption, tobacco use, alcohol use and poor hygiene, and their underlying social and commercial determinants.
Overview
Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages. Most cases are dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers. 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. TheWHO 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. Globally, an estimated 2 billion people suffer from caries of permanent teeth and 514 million children suffer from caries of primary teeth.
Prevalence of the main oral diseases continues to increase globally with growing urbanization and changes in living conditions. 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. 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.
Dental caries (tooth decay)
Dental 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. 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.
Periodontal (gum) disease
Periodontal disease affects the tissues that both surround and support the teeth. The disease is characterized by bleeding or swollen gums (gingivitis), pain and sometimes bad breath. 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. Severe periodontal diseases are estimated to affect around 19% of the global adult population, representing more than 1 billion cases worldwide. The main risk factors for periodontal disease are poor oral hygiene and tobacco use.
Edentulism (total tooth loss)
Losing teeth is generally the end point of a lifelong history of oral disease, mainly advanced dental caries and severe periodontal disease, but can also be due to trauma and other causes. The estimated global average prevalence of complete tooth loss is almost 7% among people aged 20 years or older. For people aged 60 years or older, a much higher global prevalence of 23% has been estimated. Losing teeth can be psychologically traumatic, socially damaging and functionally limiting.
Oral cancer
Oral cancer includes cancers of the lip, other parts of the mouth and the oropharynx and combined rank as the 13th most common cancer worldwide. The global incidence of cancers of the lip and oral cavity is estimated to be 377 713 new cases and 177 757 deaths in 2020. Oral cancer is more common in men and in older people, more deadly in men compared to women and it varies strongly by socio-economic circumstances.
Tobacco, alcohol and areca nut (betel quid) use are among the leading causes of oral cancer. In North America and Europe, human papillomavirus infections are responsible for a growing percentage of oral cancers among young people.
Oro-dental trauma
Oro-dental trauma results from injury to the teeth, mouth and oral cavity. Latest estimates show that 1 billion people are affected, with a prevalence of around 20% for children up to 12 years old. Oro-dental trauma can be caused by oral factors such as lack of alignment of teeth and environmental factors (such as unsafe playgrounds, risk-taking behaviour, road accidents and violence). Treatment is costly and lengthy and sometimes can even lead to tooth loss, resulting in complications for facial and psychological development and quality of life.
Noma
Noma is a severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and the face. It mostly affects children aged 2-6 years suffering from malnutrition, affected by infectious disease, living in extreme poverty with poor oral hygiene or with weakened immune systems.
Noma is mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, although cases have also been reported in Latin America and Asia. Noma starts as a soft tissue lesion (a sore) of the gums. It then develops into an acute necrotizing gingivitis that progresses rapidly, destroying the soft tissues and further progressing to involve the hard tissues and skin of the face.
According to latest estimates (from 1998) there are 140 000 new cases of noma annually. Without treatment, noma is fatal in 90% of cases. Survivors suffer from severe facial disfigurement, have difficulty speaking and eating, endure social stigma, and require complex surgery and rehabilitation. Where noma is detected at an early stage, its progression can be rapidly halted through basic hygiene, antibiotics and improved nutrition.
Cleft lip and palate
Orofacial clefts, the most common of craniofacial birth defects, have a global prevalence of between 1 in 1000-1500 births, with wide variation in different studies and populations (1). Genetic predisposition is a major cause. However, poor maternal nutrition, tobacco consumption, alcohol and obesity during pregnancy also play a role. In low-income settings, there is a high mortality rate in the neonatal period. If lip and palate clefts are properly treated by surgery, complete rehabilitation is possible.
to help countries translate the global strategy into practice. This includes a monitoring framework for tracking progress, with measurable targets to be achieved by 2030.
Key Facts
Oral diseases are a major burden on health in many countries. They can be prevented, but they still cause pain, discomfort, deformity and even death.Oral diseases are estimated to affect more than 3.5 billion people.According to Global Burden of Disease 2019, untreated dental caries in permanent teeth is a common health condition.Oral health care is expensive, and not covered by universal health coverage.In most low- and medium-income countries, there are not enough services to treat and prevent oral diseases.Oral diseases can be caused by a variety of modifiable risks factors that are common to noncommunicable disease (NCDs), such as sugar consumption, smoking, alcohol use, poor hygiene and underlying social or commercial determinants.
