Media

Global and Hong Kong oral health challenge:
HKU Faculty of Dentistry calls for Prompt Actions to Fight Oral Diseases!

19 Mar 2015

The recent global study indicates that untreated tooth decay and gum disease are the most prevalent diseases among all 291 diseases investigated worldwide (Marcenes et al, 2013), but public awareness of oral health remains relatively low. The global oral health disease burden and low public awareness situation are found to mirror the situation in Hong Kong.

HKU Faculty of Dentistry calls for prompt actions by health authorities, dental  professionals, NGOs and members of the public to address the situation. The call is made one the eve of the annual March 20th World Oral Health Day.

Severe periodontitis has been the major cause of tooth loss in adults globally, occurring in 5-20% of adults in both developed and developing countries.

“Periodontal disease is regarded as one of the major global oral health burdens with huge socio-economic impacts in terms of work or school hours loss and healthcare spending for treatment,” said Prof Lijin Jin of HKU Faculty of Dentistry, who is the current Chairman of the Science Committee of the FDI World Dental Federation in Geneva.

According to the recent Oral Health Survey published by the HK Department of Health in 2011,  96% of the 35-44 age group and 99% of the 65-74 age group had caries experience. Almost all in these two age groups also suffered from gum bleeding. 98.6% of the 35-44 age group had gum bleeding, with 9.8% suffering from severe gum disease. Of those aged 65-74, 97.1% had gum bleeding with 20.4% developing severe gum disease.

Oral diseases and major non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease, share many common risk factors, such as smoking, sugar intake, poor diet, stress, alcohol and poor hygiene.

Prof Jin said: “It is a consensus among international health professionals that prevention could be most effectively achieved through the common risk factors approach, such as lowering sugar intake, quitting smoking, and having a healthy diet . Government, healthcare professionals and the public have their respective roles to play in effective prevention of oral diseases and major non-communicable diseases.”

Members of the public, of all age groups, should practice daily effective home oralcare in the correct way, living a healthy life style and visiting dentists annually, said Prof Jin, while health authorities and professionals should direct oral health awareness efforts towards selected targeted groups, such as children and adolescents, mothers to be, medically compromised individuals (e.g. DM patients), low income families, the handicapped and the elderly.

Meanwhile, the HKU Faculty of Dentistry will organise a series of activities aiming to raising oral hygiene awareness in the community. On World Oral Health Day - March 20, 2015, an oral health exhibition and a knowledge exchange lunch time seminar will be held at the Prince of Philip Hospital. On March 21, 2015, a “Love and Clean Teeth Day” is organised by the HKU Faculty of Dentistry and Project Concern at the Shatin Town Hall, during which free oral examination will be provided to children and adults, oral health education activities will be held as well.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms Sau-wan Cheng, Knowledge Exchange Officer, HKU Faculty of Dentistry; Tel: 2859 0410; E-mail: dentke@hku.hk

For more information about the HKU Faculty of Dentistry, please visit http://facdent.hku.hk; Facebook page: www.facebook.com/facdent