March 20 is World Oral Health Day—a day when dentists and others across the globe promote awareness about the importance of taking care of your teeth.
In bringing worldwide attention to the importance of oral health, the FDI World Dental Federation hopes to encourage members of the public, organizations, and governments to take action to reduce all forms of oral disease.
These oral health-related facts provided by FDI illustrate the global burden of oral disease:
• 90% of the world’s population will suffer from oral disease in their lifetime
• Only 60% of the world’s population has access to oral health care
• 60–90% of schoolchildren worldwide have dental caries
• Toothache is the number one reason for absenteeism from schools in many countries
For more information about World Oral Health Day, visit worldoralhealthday.org.