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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 3/2016 12 oraL HEaLtH FDI expert conference: Oral health for ageing populations ByDTI LUCERNE, Switzerland: From 3 to 5 May, the FDI World Dental Federa- tion held a three-day conference on Oral Health for Ageing Populations (OHAP) in Lucerne. The invite-only conference focused on the theme of “Life-long oral health: A fundamen- tal human right”. A total of 20 ex- perts from around the globe, includ- ing the World Health Organization (WHO),gatheredtodiscussstrategies to address the growing burden of oraldiseaseandpreventtoothlossin elderlypopulations. After the World Congress in March 2015, themed “Dental care and oral health for healthy longevity in an aging society”, which was held by WHO and the Japan Dental Asso- ciation in Tokyo in Japan, the OHAP initiative was launched by the FDI in collaboration with GC International, the global branch of dental products manufacturer GC, in order to ensure oral health challenges are addressed in broader disease policies for ageing populations. At the meeting, FDI President Dr Patrick Hescot stated, “It is a great achievement that populations are living longer thanks to advances made in the fields of medicine, tech- nology, public health and policy. But itisourroleasdentiststoensurethat people not only live longer lives but healthier ones too, free of oral dis- ease,whichplaysafundamentalrole in securing a person’s overall health and wellbeing. Oral health is often a neglected area of healthy ageing, which is why this conference is so important to try and reset the bal- ance.” Dr Beat Wäckerle, President of the Swiss Dental Association and local conference host added, “Avoiding tooth loss is crucial for healthy age- ing. Yet, the complete loss of natu- ral teeth is highly prevalent among older people all over the world, with severe dental caries and advanced periodontal disease being the major causes. We must take urgent action and put preventative strategies in place.” Although tooth loss is declining in many high-income countries, and older people are increasingly pre- serving their teeth in a functional condition, the latest figures from WHO indicate that the prevalence of oral disease is increasing in low- and middle-income countries. Most oral diseases and conditions require pro- fessional dental care; however, ow- ing to limited availability or inacces- sibility,theuseoforalhealthservices ismarkedlylowamongolderpeople. GC Chairman Makoto Nakao high- lighted, “In countries like Japan, 30 per cent of the population are already over 60 years old, it is now low- and middle-income countries that are experiencing the biggest change and GC is committed to working with FDI and through its network of more than 200 national dental associations to address this is- sue on a global level and affect posi- tive change for the millions of peo- plesufferingunnecessarilyfromoral disease,whentheycouldbeenjoying activehealthyageing.” Outcomes from the recent meeting in Lucerne will be presented at the FDI Annual World Dental Congress, whichwilltakeplaceinPoznańinPo- land from 7 to 10 September. In ad- dition, strategies on combatting oral disease in ageing populations will be launchedattheevent. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, oral disease affects 3.9 billion people worldwide and un- treated dental caries affects almost halfoftheworld’spopulation(44per cent), making it the most prevalent of all the 291 conditions investigated inthestudy. Poor dental health can affect both psychological and physiological health, leading to a significantly reduced quality of life. In addition to functional problems, poor oral health and dental problems can re- sult in inflammation of the gingivae andapoor-qualitymonotonousdiet, all of which increase the risk of mal- nutrition. The FDI stressed that this problem will only worsen if urgent action is not taken. WHO estimates that the proportion of the world’s population over the age of 60 will nearly double from 12 to 22 per cent between2015and2050. Fromleft:DrHiroshiOgawa(WHO),DrPatrickHescot (FDI),DrBeatWäckerle(SwissDentalAssociation),Makoto Nakao(GC)(Photograph:GilbertoLontro/FDI) FDIPresident DrPatrickHescot Twenty experts from around the globe attended the conference inLucerne. NEW Interdental brushes with WaveCut™ bristle technology for better cleaning Soft tip makes it easy to insert between teeth. Shorter bristles are perfect for effective cleaning between teeth. 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