Modern Medical Laboratory Journal

World Oral Health Day is celebrated globally every year on 20 March according to the burden of oral diseases.
The oral cavity has the second largest and diverse microbiota with over 700 species of bacteria. Oral diseases pose a major health burden for many countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement, and even death. The majority of oral health conditions are: dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal diseases, oral cancers (cancer of the lip or mouth), oral manifestations of HIV, oro-dental trauma, cleft lip and palate, and noma (severe gangrenous disease starting in the mouth mostly affecting children). Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages.
The burden of oral diseases can be reduced through public health interventions by addressing common risk factors including:

• promoting a well-balanced diet low in free sugars;
• stopping use of all forms of tobacco, including chewing of areca nuts;
• reducing alcohol consumption; 
• Adequate exposure to fluoride; 
• twice-daily tooth brushing; and
• encouraging the use of protective equipment when doing sports and traveling on bicycles and motorcycles (to reduce the risk of facial injuries).

Extracted from WHO