today SCANDEFA Copenhagen, 2018

news “Good oral health is for life, not just for World Oral Health Day” An interview with FDI President Dr Kathryn Kell and Philips CEO of Business Group Health and Wellness Sinéad Kwant (cid:132) Since 2016, the FDI World Dental Federation and oral health product manufacturer Philips have been partnering to promote World Oral Health Day on 20 March. In this in- terview, Dental Tribune International (DTI) speaks to FDI President Dr Kathryn Kell and Philips CEO of Business Group Health and Wellness Sinéad Kwant about the signiﬁcance of this day, challenges in improving oral health globally and how the col- laboration between the two organisa- tions can help. DTI: In your opinion, is oral health improving globally? Dr Kathryn Kell: The global bur- den of oral disease remains signiﬁ- cant and widespread; most people will be affected in their lifetimes. The message that good oral health is an essential part of overall health and quality of life is still not fully em- braced everywhere, and individuals across the globe continue to suffer from poor oral health. Oral health promotion, as well as prevention and health. With almost four billion peo- ple worldwide affected by oral dis- ease, it is our job to raise awareness of and educate people on the link be- tween oral health and overall health and encourage them to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime. In your opinion, what are the main risks or barriers to people not focus- ing on their oral health? Kell: Oral health is affected by a wide range of social determinants that can impact access to care. Lack of oral health education, however, re- mains a main barrier to people main- taining good oral health. Therefore, we work hard to raise awareness of the importance of oral health and ed- ucate people on the intrinsic link be- tween oral health and general health. We advocate preventative care, early detection and treatment to encourage people to adopt good oral hygiene habits and follow the advice of oral health professionals so that they un- derstand the impact of oral disease on their overall health and well-being. (cid:24)Dr Kathryn Kell control of oral disease, is key to en- sure that people around the world are prioritising their oral health. As the authoritative voice of dentistry, it is our responsibility to step up to the challenges and drive the ﬁght against oral disease to ensure that we are ful- ﬁlling our vision of leading the world to optimal oral health. Sinéad Kwant: While there is a growing trend for people to integrate technology into their lifestyles to im- prove their health and well-being, such as using apps to track diet and ﬁtness or oral health goals, there re- main larger global issues that impact oral health. While people in the de- veloped world live longer, increas- ingly sedentary lifestyles have led to a surge in chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. These in turn have signiﬁcant implications for oral Kwant: One of the main barriers to people focusing on their oral health is education and awareness about the importance of good oral health habits and the impact on overall health. An- other reason is that many people do not visit their dentist or hygienist reg- ularly and discuss their oral health. They go when there is something wrong, rather than practising pre- ventative care. Working with the FDI, we hope to raise awareness of the im- portance of building good oral health care routines and encourage people to visit their dental professional and, importantly, to follow his or her ad- vice and maintain good routines be- tween visits. What do you hope your World Oral Health Day campaign will achieve? Kell: This World Oral Health Day, we hope that people will embrace the campaign theme of “Say ahh: Think mouth, think health”. We want peo- ple to make the connection between their oral health and their general health and recognise the close associ- ation between the two and the impact that one has on the other. We encour- age people everywhere to commit to prevention and control their risk fac- tors; oral health professionals to com- mit to educating their patients on the positive impact of protecting their oral health on general health; and policymakers to understand their countries’ oral health challenges and launch policies that address oral dis- ease at a local, national and regional level. Kwant: This World Oral Health Day, we want to highlight how a healthy mouth is critical in prevent- ing oral disease, as well as raising awareness of the link between oral and overall health. If we can get peo- ple to make small behavioural changes, these can go a long way to- wards positively impacting oral health, for example, their diet and brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes. Tell us about the FDI and Philips part- nership and why it’s important? Kell: Philips is a key ally in help- ing us ensure the success of World Oral Health Day. As leaders in the corporate world, companies like Philips have access to an interna- tional community of diverse stake- holders and—by working together— we can disseminate oral health messages to many more people glob- ally. We have seen through their World Oral Health Day activation ef- forts that Philips is fully committed to improving oral health habits through meaningful innovation. We ﬁnd this type of support instrumental in help- ing us improve people’s oral health across borders. Kwant: We know that good oral health can have important associated beneﬁts when it comes to overall health and wellness. Working with the FDI, we have the opportunity to help people better understand their oral health, from the foods they eat to their daily brushing routine, and share knowledge and best practice. What is next for the future of oral healthcare? Kell: Prevention is key. We must shift our attention from a traditional restorative approach to one that em- phasises disease prevention and oral health promotion. Oral health profes- sionals need to play a key role in ed- ucating patients on the wider implica- tions of protecting their oral health. A more integrated approach to health- care can help achieve better out- comes for patients with oral disease. Kwant: We believe that we will see a move to more preventative care owing to the rise of digitally con- nected technology. This also has the possibility of transforming the rela- tionship between the patient and dental professional by introducing (cid:24)Sinéad Kwant the ability to share brushing results or work towards goals. This will change the way dental professionals communicate with their patients and hopefully improve patient compli- ance between visits. How does your partnership with den- tal professionals help to improve oral health globally? Kell: Dental professionals are the principal providers of oral disease prevention and treatment and play an indispensable role in working to improve oral health around the world. They must take every opportu- nity to serve as global ambassadors for oral health and encourage pa- tients to live healthy lifestyles in their daily practice. Education leads to ac- tion and action fuels change. It is up to our profession to step up to the challenges and take action against the burden of oral disease. Kwant: Dental professionals are key to improving oral health. By part- nering with the FDI, we have the op- portunity to team up and raise aware- ness of the state of people’s oral health. It is our job to understand the barriers dental professionals face when it comes to making sound rec- ommendations and to provide solu- tions that help them to engage their patients on good oral health. What is the impact of oral health on overall health? Kell: Oral health and general health have a close two-way relation- ship. The mouth is a mirror of the body and offers clues about the sta- tus of overall health. Many general health conditions increase the risk of oral disease and vice versa. Oral dis- ease can impact every aspect of life, including personal re lationships and self-conﬁdence, school and job perfor- mance, and even enjoying food. Main- taining a healthy mouth contributes to a lifetime of well-being and helps people live a better quality of life into old age. Kwant: We are continuing to ex- plore the link between oral health and systemic health, but we know that it has an important effect on overall health and wellness. A well-documented example of this is the link between diabetes and oral health. Diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and the difference good oral healthcare can make to the overall health of those with the condition can be signiﬁcant. Taking care of one’s mouth can have an important longer-term inﬂuence on overall health and wellness. If you could give one tip or piece of advice about oral health, what would it be? Kell: It is never too early or too late to start looking after your mouth; your body will thank you! Adopting good oral hygiene habits, having a healthy diet that is low in sugar, quit- ting tobacco use, keeping away from excessive alcohol consumption, and having regular dental check-ups help protect the mouth and body at all ages. Kwant: I would recommend vis- iting the dental professional, espe- cially from a young age. I would like to encourage people to visit their den- tal professional or hygienist regularly and to follow his or her advice. The two most common types of oral dis- ease, tooth decay and periodontal dis- ease, are completely preventable with an effective oral care routine, brushing for two minutes twice a day. It is important to remember that good oral health is for life, not just for World Oral Health Day, and develop- ing these habits from an early age can positively impact on longer term health and wellness. Thank you both for the interview. (cid:26) SCANDEFA 2018 5

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