Oral health is one of the most important aspects for a person. Every year on March 20 people across the globe observe World Oral Health. The day aims to raise awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene. The mouth is a mirror to an individual’s body and reflects the general health and well-being of the body.
World Oral Health Day Campaigns:
World Oral Health Day is organised by the FDI World Dental Federation, and it involves campaigns by national dental associations from around the world with activities in over 130 countries. This day was launched on March 20, 2013, and it marks the launch of a year-long campaign to raise awareness of oral health and the prevention of oral diseases. Since 2013 these campaigns have featured a specific theme. The themes of the World Oral Health Day campaign from 2013 to 2020 are as follows: Healthy Teeth for Healthy Life (2013), Brush for a Healthy Mouth! (2014), Smile for Life! (2015), It All Starts Here. Healthy mouth. Health body (2016), Live Mouth Smart (2017), Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health (2018), Say Ahh: Act-On Mouth Health (2019), and Say Ahh: Unite for Mouth Health (2020).
World Health Day 2022 Theme:
In 2021, the three-year campaign was launched with the theme, ‘Be Proud of Your Mouth’. The website worldoralhealth.org mentioned, “we want people to value and take care of their oral health and to make the right decisions to protect it. In year one, we focused on how oral health affects our overall health.” This year, the motive is to inspire action by highlighting how a healthy mouth is important for our happiness and well-being. FDI World Dental Federation, on their website, announced that in 2022, the campaign is ‘Be Proud of their Mouth for their happiness and well-being’. They mentioned the importance of a healthy mouth because an unhealthy mouth not only impacts general health, but it can have a severe impact on people’s emotional, social, mental, and overall physical well-being.
History of Oral Health:
The history of oral health goes way back. According to the American Dental Association, records suggest the presence of oral health specialists in Egypt in approximately 2600 B.C. Between 500 B.C. and 300 B.C. in Greece, philosopher Aristotle and physician Hippocrates wrote about tooth decay, gum disease and tooth extraction. In approximately 700 A.D., a Chinese medical text noted the use of a silver paste as an amalgam to maintain oral health. In 1723, Pierre Fauchard, a French surgeon, published a book called The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth, which includes the foundation of modern dentistry, including oral anatomy, oral surgery techniques, and the construction of dentures. In 1832, James Snell invented the first reclining dental chair, and in 1958, a fully reclining dental chair was invented.
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