Challenges in Oral Hygiene and Oral Health Policy

Oral health is indivisible from general health and well-being. Oral diseases are prevalent worldwide and significantly burden global economies and people’s health, considerably reducing the quality of life of those affected. The Global Burden of Disease study reported that oral conditions affected 3.9 billion people [1]. Dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal disease are the most prevalent oral diseases globally [2]. Approximately half or more of the world’s population suffered from periodontal diseases, and about 11.2% suffered from severe periodontitis [3]. Similarly, dental caries was most prevalent in permanent teeth, affecting around 2.4 billion people, whereas early childhood caries is a silent global epidemic, affecting 621 million children [4], negatively affecting their quality of life and well-being [5]. Due to the changes in demographic profiles, including the aging population, the cumulative burden of oral diseases and conditions has increased significantly. The number of people with untreated oral conditions increased from 2.5 billion in 1990 to 3.5 billion in 2015, with a 64% upsurge in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) throughout the world [6].