THE World Health Organization says it has estimated that oral diseases affect close to 3.5 billion people worldwide, with three out of four people affected living in middle-income countries.
WHO, according to its latest Global Oral Health Status Report (2022), released on its website on Friday, November 18, an estimated two billion people suffer from caries (decay) of permanent teeth, while 514 million children suffer from caries of primary teeth.
The report added that “most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages. Most cases are dental caries, 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.”
WHO noted that most low- and middle-income countries do not have sufficient services available to prevent and treat oral health conditions.
It added that treatment for oral health conditions is expensive and usually not part of universal health coverage (UHC).
On the causes of the diseases, the report stressed that 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.
“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,” the statement added.
Another key fact disclosed is that oral disease, while largely preventable, pose a major health burden for many countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.
The WHO also cited the Global Burden of Disease 2019 report, stating that untreated dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth is the most common health condition.
Among other diseases of the teeth listed are dental caries, periodontal (gum) disease, edentulism (total tooth loss), oral cancer, oro-dental trauma and noma.
The report stated, “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 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.
“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.”
The report added that tobacco, alcohol and areca nut (betel quid) use are among the leading causes of oral cancer.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M