The ultimate goal for every dental professional is to support patients in their quest for good oral health. For dental technicians, that means working with dentists to provide a wide range of high-quality prostheses, appliances and devices. This is only achievable with technical skills, evidence-based technologies and materials, close collaboration with the wider dental team and a passion for excellence. This World Oral Health Day, why not encourage your lab team to help spread the message of oral health even further?

The oral health landscape

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that oral diseases impact almost 3.5 billion people worldwide. Dental caries is the most common health condition around the globe. Approximately 7% of all over-20s are completely edentulous, while this figure increases to 23% among those aged 60 years or older.

In the UK, complete edentulism seems to be a little less prevalent than the global average, affecting only 0.1% of 25-34-year-olds and 7.5% of those over the age of 80 according to a 2018 government survey. However, of those with partial edentulism, 7.6% of people missing anterior teeth and 73% missing posterior teeth had no replacement prosthetic. It was also suggested that almost half of adults have one or more crowns. The research found that over 70% of participating patients needed some form of dental treatment.

So, while we may be doing well compared to other countries around the world, there is still much yet to be done!

Improving oral health related quality of life

No matter what dental treatment a patient requires, their satisfaction with the outcome will be based on a combination of physical, psychological and emotional factors. That’s why successful treatment can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Consider edentulism as an example – it can affect every area of a patient’s life, including their appearance, nutrition, social experiences, self-confidence and mental health. In delivering a comfortable, functional and aesthetic denture, studies have shown this leads to a statistically significant increase in oral health related quality of life. The dental technician’s contribution in such a case is therefore essential for quality dental care.

Spreading the word

It’s crucial that the general population appreciates the importance of oral health and their role in maintaining it. This, combined with expert care from their local dental practices and laboratories, can make a huge difference to their everyday lives. This World Oral Health Day – celebrated on 20th March – why not get your lab team involved by sharing information and promoting essential dental advice for people in your local area on social media or in your own marketing? Even just letting friends and family know what their dentist and dental technician team could do for them is a great start. If we are to see an improvement in oral health across the UK, we all have to work together to get the right messages out there.

Happy World Oral Health Day 2023!