World Oral Health Day(WOHD) is annually observed across the globe on 20th March to create awareness about the importance of oral health and to support the efforts to reduce the burden of oral diseases on individuals, health systems and economies.
- The observance is annually led by the FDI World Dental Federation(Fédération dentaire internationale-FDI)
The WOHD Campaign theme for 2024-2026 is “A Happy Mouth is…A Happy Body”.
- The theme emphasizes the relationship between oral health and overall well-being
- Toothie, FDI’s mascot, will join the 3 year campaign focusing on a transformative journey where prioritizing oral health leads to better health overall.
Background:
i.The inaugural World Oral Health Day was observed on 12th September 2007 by FDI to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Charles Godon, the founder of the FDI.
ii.In 2013, the observance of WOHD was moved from 12th September to 20th March to avoid a conflict with the FDI World Dental Congress, which annually takes place in September.
Why March 20?
i.March 20 was chosen to reflect the following:
- Older people should have 20 natural teeth at the end of their lives to be considered healthy.
- The average child should have 20 deciduous teeth by the age of 3 years.
- A healthy adult must have 32 teeth overall, with no dental cavities.
ii.Expressed on a numerical basis, this can be mentioned as 3/20 which represents March 20.
Points to note:
i.Oral diseases encompass a range of diseases and conditions that include dental caries, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth loss, oral cancer, etc.
ii.It is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide which affects around 3.5 billion people.
iii.The United Nations (UN) Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agreed to achieve UHC by 2030.
India’s National Oral Health Programme:
The government of India launched the National Oral Health Programme (NOHP) in 2014-2015 to provide integrated, comprehensive oral health care in the existing healthcare facilities.
NOHP was initially started in 9 states and it is now implemented across 32 States/UTs.
About FDI World Dental Federation(FDI):
The FDI is a non-governmental organization (NGO) and one of the oldest professional organizations in the world.
Executive Director– Enzo Bondioni
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Established – 1900
