OTS - FDI unveils new universally applicable definition of 'oral health'
2016. September 07. 10:10
Poznan, 7 September, 2016 (APA/OTS) - FDI World Dental Federation
today launched the new definition of 'oral health' - positioning it
as an integral part of general health and well-being - at its
Annual World Dental Congress in Poznan, Poland. It was adopted by
over 200 national dental associations (NDAs) and will now be rolled
out to the oral health community, globally.
"This new definition is an important milestone for the oral
health profession," said Dr Patrick Hescot, FDI President. "True to
our Vision 2020 advocacy strategy and our ambition to lead the
world to optimal oral health, the new definition will allow us to
develop standardized assessment and measurement tools for
consistent data collection on a global level."
As defined by FDI, oral health:
Is multi-faceted and includes, but is not limited to, the
ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and
convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with
confidence and free from pain or discomfort, and disease of the
craniofacial complex.
Further attributes related to the definition state that oral
health:
- is a fundamental component of health and physical and mental
wellbeing, which exists along a continuum influenced by the values
and attitudes of individuals and communities,
- reflects the physiological, social and psychological
attributes that are essential to the quality of life,
- is influenced by the individual's changing experience,
perceptions, expectations and ability to adapt to circumstances.
The new definition was coined by FDI's Vision 2020 Think Tank
members, which includes experts in oral health, public health and
health economics. Together with a companion framework tested
against external stakeholders, the new oral health definition is
the result of a wider consultation which included patients, oral
health professionals, NDAs, the public health community, academia,
government, industry and third-party payers.
"With this new definition, we want to raise awareness of the
different dimensions of oral health and emphasize that oral health
does not occur in isolation, but is embedded in the wider framework
of overall health" said Prof. David Williams, Co-Chair of FDI's
Vision 2020 Think Tank.
"We are proposing a contemporary definition of oral health,
which resonates with that used by many NDAs and the World Health
Organization," said Prof. Michael Glick, Co-Chair of FDI's Vision
2020 Think Tank. "It is therefore not a revolution, but an
evolution."
FDI plans to widely disseminate this oral health definition and
advocate for its operationalization to establish a standard
measurement instrument that can be applied across countries. A
measurement toolbox will be ready in 2017 to allow for assessment
of individual and population needs that can inform and drive oral
health policies.
Media contact
Charanjit (Chaz) Jagait
E-mail: cjagait@fdiworldental.org | Tel: +41 22 560 81 48
About FDI World Dental Federation
FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal
representative body for over 1 million dentists worldwide. Its
membership includes some 200 national member associations and
specialist groups in over 130 countries. FDI's vision: 'leading the
world to optimal oral health'. www.fdiworldental.org
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