Geneva, 4 November 2025.- Almost 3.5 billion people now suffer from oral diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). These conditions, which are often preventable, weigh heavily on global public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where access to care remains limited. WHO calls for making oral health an integrated priority in public health policies.
Tooth and gum diseases, caries, periodontitis, tooth loss and oral cancer affect more than half of the world's population. Yet, they remain underestimated and poorly supported. Untreated caries are among the most common diseases in the world. In disadvantaged regions, the lack of fluoride, excessive consumption of sugars and difficult access to care make the situation worse.
According to WHO, oral diseases share the same risk factors as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Smoking, alcohol consumption, a diet rich in free sugars and poor hygiene are the main causes. These health inequalities are strongly reflected: the poor and marginalized are the most affected.
Prevention remains the key. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluorinated toothpaste, reducing the consumption of sugar and tobacco, and adopting good oral hygiene help avoid most complications. However, the high cost of care and its lack of universal health coverage hamper prevention and access to treatment in many countries.
Since 2021, WHO has been scaling up initiatives to include oral health in global programmes. Its global strategy 2023-2030 and the Bangkok Declaration "No Health Without Oral Health" call for a systematic integration of oral health into national policies. The objective is to make the mouth an essential part of general well-being, as there is no health without oral health.
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