On March 20, World Oral Health Day is celebrated, an initiative that is joined annually by the General Council of Dentists together with the International Dental Federation (FDI) and nearly 200 countries around the world. This day emphasizes the importance of preventing oral diseases and the benefits that good oral health brings to general health.

In fact, many studies show the relationship between poor oral health and some systemic diseases. This happens because oral pathogenic bacteria pass into the bloodstream and reach organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas or cross the placenta in pregnancy, increasing the chances of developing or worsening heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes. among other.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral diseases affect about 3,500 million people worldwide, and caries in permanent teeth is the most frequent pathology.

Regarding the prevalence of these processes in Spain:

• 34 million people have cavities, of which 4 million are children and 2.5 million adolescents.
• About 5.2 million adults suffer from periodontal disease, of which approximately 10-12% have a severe form.
• Regarding tooth loss, only 45% of older adults have functional dentition (that is, 21 or more functional teeth in the mouth) and 7.3% are totally edentulous.
• Every year 8,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed and 1,500 people die from this disease (500 more than in traffic accidents). 75% of oral cancers are detected late.

Recommendations to enjoy good oral health

• It is essential to maintain good oral hygiene, brushing your teeth at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste. In addition, attention must be paid to interdental hygiene, since neither the manual nor the electric brush are capable of reaching the bacteria that accumulate between one tooth and another. That is why it is so important to clean between the teeth with dental floss or an interdental brush. Otherwise, we will leave 35% of the tooth surface uncleaned. Despite the importance of this action, only 34% of the population performs interdental hygiene on a daily basis.
• Follow a healthy and balanced diet, low in sugar and rich in vegetables, fruit, fish and olive oil. Watch out for added sugars in processed foods, energy drinks, and soft drinks. The consumption of water as the main drink should be encouraged.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco, as they not only cause stains on the teeth, halitosis and gum disease, they are also important risk factors for oral cancer.
• In the case of practicing contact sports, it is advisable to use mouth guards to avoid dental fractures.
• Periodically visit the dentist, at least once a year or whenever an anomaly is detected in the oral cavity. It is recommended not to delay the treatment of oral conditions, as they may lead to future complications that require a more complex approach.