Oral Health?Neglected Area on Global Health Map

Abstract

Oral health is an important international public health issue; impacting individuals, communities, health systems, economies and society at large. More importantly, it is one of the most neglected areas on global health map to the current understanding on the mechanism of initiation and progression of oral disease; there are still certain lacunae present in our knowledge of prevention of periodontal disease. In spite of vast understanding of the disease, the inability to identify high-risk forms exists. Prevention of oral diseases and the ability to detect disease activity at an early stage are yet unexplored in Dentistry. These disparities need to be reckoned for seeking better solutions and future policies for improvement in global oral health. To understand and resolve these oral health disparities are a need of hour otherwise it will widen the gap between developed and developing countries. A data-based search was conducted using Google scholar Medline search using terms oral health, health inequalities, global disease, oral health disparities.

Taste Alterations: Clinicians’ Perspective on Cancer Patient Outcomes and Management Strategies

“…Oral care and oral health are essential symptoms for many cancers 1,46 and recommended to see a dentist regarding managing oral health symptoms 46 . Changes in taste and taste disorders have been linked with changes in saliva production, dry mouth, and xerostomia 47 . Drinking more fluids may help to improve salivary flow rate and dry mouth symptoms.…”

“…Drinking more fluids may help to improve salivary flow rate and dry mouth symptoms. Thus, this strategy may improve taste function 47 . Further, it's been reported that doing oral evaluations before beginning cancer treatments could identify oral infections, fractured teeth or restorations, and periodontal diseases, which could contribute to oral complications upon cancer therapy.…”

Attitudes toward and knowledge of collaboration of dental and medical practice among medical students in Southern India: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey

“…One of the commonly neglected health issues globally is oral health, and the impact of oral diseases has significant effects on individuals, communities and global health care systems. 1 The evolution of professional health care education over the years is yet to compete with the demographical challenges and inequalities faced, which causes a burden on the system to fight the disease spread, and utilize the scientific knowledge and advanced technology with increasing complexity in the system. In addition to this, there is existing gap in imparting training to medical professionals about importance of oral health and its impact on general health.…”