Global status of oral health provision: Identifying the root of the problem

Dental health is deeply rooted in the primary care of an individual such that an individual's overall health status and behaviours may be determined by their oral health status. Oral diseases are a major cause of morbidity and are among the most prevalent diseases worldwide. Despite the risk these diseases pose to global health, they remain a largely neglected facet of healthcare. In this article, we discuss why predominantly preventable oral diseases persist with high prevalence and suggest how to address the global oral disease epidemic. People living in rural areas are particularly disadvantaged, due to insufficient oral care in remote locations, lack of transport and an overall under-resourced health care infrastructure. In cases where oral health programmes exist, they are usually directed only at certain groups. Dental tourism has been increasing in popularity over the last two decades. Eastern Europe has become one of the leading destinations for patients seeking dental care across borders. However, negative findings regarding the quality of dental procedures in these destinations have been highlighted in many studies, with some pointing out that only a small fraction of patients received sufficient quality, and that only very simple dental treatments were actually evaluated as cost-effective. Low-income countries are hindered not only by lack of dentists, but by lack of public health initiatives such as fluoridation of water and toothpastes. The integration of oral health into medical education and primary care could improve the common risk factor approach between the specialties and improve preventative measures and screening for better patient outcomes and reduction in cost of care.