The World Dental Federation has wanted oral disease to be included in the list of non-communicable diseases which needs priority action to be taken within the UN and WHO. FDI Executive Director Jean-Luc Eiselé went on to recently explain that the current list which comprises only cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases needs to be extended and should also include oral disease.

According to the FDI all oral conditions share common risk factors with the other four major diseases and is a part of unhealthy dietary habits. This is a part of more sugar consumption, tobacco, and harmful alcohol. This is going to be made mandatory that oral-health professionals should be an integral part of the solution for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

According to Dr Habib Benzian, Director of the Fit for School international NGO, the most common disease worldwide is dental caries and tooth decay. It has large impact on societies, on children, on each and every one of us.

Dr Eiselé stressed the key role that health professionals play in reducing the global NCD burden through health promotion, disease prevention, patient care and rehabilitation. He also stated that the right amounts of access to health care are considered to be a human right and this does not matter whether diseases are communicable or non-communicable, acute or chronic.