FDI white paper and practical guide address the global burden of periodontal disease

Geneva (ots) - FDI World Dental Federation published two resources
- a white paper and a practical guide - as part of its Global
Periodontal Health Project (GPHP), which aims to bring attention to
periodontal health as a priority area for policy worldwide.

"Periodontal disease - or gum disease as it is often better known
- is one of the most common diseases affecting up to 50% of the adult
population worldwide," said Dr Kathryn Kell, FDI President. "This
should not be taken lightly, especially since we know it has a
significant relationship with other health conditions. We must pursue
prevention strategies that are promoted by oral health and general
health professionals alike."

The White Paper on Prevention and Management of Periodontal
Diseases for Oral Health and General Health provides oral health
professionals with a comprehensive - yet concise - summary of the
main issues related to the global prevalence and impacts of
periodontal disease. It also covers the aetiology and pathogenesis,
prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, as well as
identifies the key challenges in tackling the burden of periodontal
disease.

The Periodontal Health and Disease - A practical guide to reduce
the global burden of periodontal disease is based on considerations
from the white paper and the 2017 FDI World Oral Health Forum, which
focused on global periodontal health. It introduces periodontal
health and sets the context for the global burden of periodontal
disease. It provides practical guidance for National Dental
Associations to design, conduct and evaluate advocacy campaigns that
will advance the implementation of policies to prevent and manage
periodontal disease.

"We are very pleased with the outcome of these publications," said
Prof. Lijian Jin, Chair of the GPHP Task Team. "The white paper sets
out an action plan on the prevention and management of periodontal
disease. The practical guide helps oral health professionals
establish advocacy goals that will reach policymakers and contributes
to implementing successful campaigns. We expect these documents to be
used widely by our peers and help enhance periodontal health
globally."

Periodontal disease is largely preventable and represents a major
global oral disease burden. It begins as gingivitis (inflammation of
the gums) and may progress to periodontitis (destroying
tooth-supporting tissues and bone). It is also closely associated
with noncommunicable diseases as they share common risk factors
(unhealthy diet, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption).

The white paper was just included in the April issue of FDI's
International Dental Journal (http://ots.ch/zaSzz5). Both the white
paper and practical guide are freely available on the FDI website
(http://ots.ch/Ds9zyP) and print copies will be distributed at the
FDI World Dental Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. GPHP is a
multi-partner project supported by Electro Medical Systems (EMS),
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Procter & Gamble (P&G).

About FDI World Dental Federation

FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative
body for over 1 million dentists worldwide. Its membership includes
some 200 national member associations and specialist groups in over
130 countries. FDI's vision: 'leading the world to optimal oral
health.' www.fdiworldental.org;
https://facebook.com/FDIWorldDentalFederation;
https://twitter.com/worldentalfed

About Electro Medical Systems

Biofilm is the root cause of tooth decay, periodontitis and
peri-implantitis. We at EMS are experts in removing biofilm with our
scientifically proven methods and our breakthrough products. Learn
more about the Guided Biofilm Therapy @ http://www.ems-dental.com

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving
the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better
and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

About Procter & Gamble

Oral-B® is the worldwide leader in the over $5 billion brushing
market. Crest is a global leader in toothpaste and other dental
products. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, the brands include
manual and electric toothbrushes for children and adults, oral
irrigators, toothpastes, mouthwashes and interdental products, such
as dental floss.

Pressekontakt:
Claudia Marquina, FDI Communications and Advocacy Manager
cmarquina@fdiworldental.org | Tel: +41 22 560 8137

Original-Content von: FDI World Dental Federation, übermittelt durch news aktuell