Oral diseases affect nearly half of the world's population

  In Brazil, 34 million people over the age of 18 do not practice proper oral hygiene and have already lost 13 teeth or more According to the WHO (World Health Organization) report, about 3.5 billion people, nearly half (45%) of the world's population, suffer from oral diseases such as cavities, gum diseases, tooth loss, oral cancer, and other issues. Over the past 30 years, the document states, there has been an increase of one billion new cases of patients with these health problems, with 3 out of 4 cases recorded in poor countries. Cavities are the leading occurrence, affecting 2.5 billion people worldwide. Following that is periodontal disease, the main cause of tooth loss, with about one billion cases. Oral cancer ranks third, with 380,000 new diagnoses each year. In Brazil, according to data from the National Health Survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and released in 2020, it is highlighted that 34 million adult Brazilians (over 18 years old) have lost 13 or more teeth. Dentist Catarina Riva explains that this can be minimized by democratizing access to dental care through public awareness campaigns about the importance of oral health care, encouraging regular visits to a dentist. According to Catarina, in addition to the diseases mentioned, poor oral hygiene can also adversely affect emotional health, self-esteem (due to tooth loss), cardiovascular issues (bacterial endocarditis), pulmonary health, and interfere with blood sugar control in diabetics, among others.