According to a new report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 800 million people, or 42% of the population in the Western Pacific area, suffer from oral disorders such as untreated dental caries, gum disease, or tooth loss.

The Western Pacific regional summary of the WHO global oral health status report showed that oral illnesses in the area have increased by about 30% over the last 30 years. It was seen that the number of oral disorders has increased from 629 million cases in 1990 to more than 800 million cases in 2019, respectively.

The report noted that the Western Pacific has the largest burden of tooth loss among the WHOs six regions, with over 92 million individuals aged 20 years and older missing all of their teeth, out of which only 25% are aged 60 years and above.

Although oral illnesses are largely preventable, the report stated that only a few countries in the Western Pacific region invest money in an attempt to treat the issue. Furthermore, it was noted that most nations in the area have a dentist-centered workforce paradigm, with insufficient task sharing and skill mixes within the wider oral health team.

(Source:https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1088175 )