CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 7

22 | 2019 | Issue 7 N ews and E vents Q&A Dr. Paul Allison ORAL DISEASES: A Global Public Health Challenge The Lancet Oral Health Series Key Series Facts: � Richard Watt from University College London (London, UK) and colleagues from ten countries (including Dr. Paul Allison, president of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and former dean at McGill University Faculty of Dentistry) detail why oral diseases have persisted globally over the past three decades, despite scientific advancements in the field, and why prevalence has increased in low-income and middle-income countries, and among socially disadvantaged and vulnerable people, no matter where they live. � They show that oral diseases, including tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancers, affect almost half of the global population, with untreated dental decay the most common non-communicable disease worldwide. Lip and oral cavity cancers are among the top 15 most common cancers in the world. � I n addition to lower quality of life, oral diseases have a major economic impact on both individuals and the wider health care system and are the third most expensive condition in the European Union (EU), behind diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. � Despite this substantial burden, oral health has been woefully neglected. The Lancet Oral Health Series calls for radical reform of dental care systems, whose treat-over-prevent model has failed to combat the global challenge of oral diseases. It also calls for greater prominence of oral health on the global health agendas campaigning for non-communicable diseases and universal health coverage. Key Findings: � Untreated tooth decay is the most common non-communicable disease across the globe � Extreme health inequalities exist for the most marginalized and socially excluded groups � The power and influence of Big Sugar The Lancet views itself not just as a medical research journal that publishes findings of medical and health-related research, but also as an agent of change. Part of achieving that change is discussing and disseminating information about the important areas of health and disease and health policy across the globe.