Celebrated annually on 20 March, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is the largest global awareness campaign on oral health. Each year, WOHD focuses on a specific theme and reaches out to the general public, oral health professionals and policymakers, who all have a role to play in helping reduce the disease burden. For the first time this year, FDI is launching a three-year campaign strategy under the theme ‘Say Ahh’. Combined with different sub-themes each year, the ‘Say Ahh’ campaign brings to life the notion of the mouth serving as a mirror to the body and reflecting overall health. The 2018 campaign sub-theme ‘Think Mouth, Think Health’ introduces the link between oral health and general health, warning that the mouth cannot be isolated from the rest of the body for the following reasons:
- Oral diseases are associated with a number of other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease
- All major NCDs share the same social determinants including poverty and some common risk factors
- Risk factors for oral diseases include an unhealthy diet high in sugar, use of tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption and poor oral hygiene
As a dentist, you can raise awareness in your practice, with patients, colleagues and online. The WOHD website features a range of ready made resources including key messages and statistics, easily customisable posters, patient brochures and complete campaign tool kits. Submit your event via their global map and spread the word via social media using the hashtags #WOHD18, #SayAhh and #ThinkMouthThinkHealth.
