Oral Health

The Pan American Health Organization, through its Oral Health Program, is responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of oral health policy for the Organization's 35 Members States.

The mission of PAHO's Oral Health Program is to strengthen oral health services through communication and collaboration among member countries to provide the information and resources necessary to promote equal and quality oral health care for all people in the Americas, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

The PAHO Oral Health Program equips countries with proven best-practice strategies, knowledge, and technical expertise; and facilitates partnerships that catalyze and sustain positive change. PAHO's Oral Health Program also provides expertise in design and implementation of clinical trials and cost-effective alternative treatments that increase access to oral health services. Examples include the enhancement of salt and water fluoridation systems; implementation of the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART); and promotion of flouride varnishes in the Region.

Atraumatic restorative treatment

Traumatic restorative treatment (ART) is a simple method to treat tooth decay in situations where traditional cavity preparations are not feasible. The technique was developed more than 15 years ago and has been shown to be an effective treatment option. It involves the removal of soft and demineralized tissue followed by restoration of the tooth with fluorine-releasing glass ionomer.

ART systems have been used successfully throughout the world, since they do not require electricity, running water or anesthesia. PAHO, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of ART compared to amalgam restorations in three LAC countries for three years.

Developmental disorders

Developmental disorders involve teeth and craniofacial structures. Often, these are associated with genetic disorders that affect other parts of the body. Other times, they are due to developmental problems during birth. Therefore, it is suggested that both genes and environmental factors play a role in these defects. The most common defect is the cleft lip and palate.

Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030

WHO’s Global oral health status report (GOHSR) provides the first-ever comprehensive picture of oral disease burden and highlights challenges and opportunities to accelerate progress towards universal coverage for oral health. This includes introducing oral health profiles of countries based on the latest available data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and global WHO surveys. It emphasizes the global impact of oral disease on our health and well-being and highlights stark inequalities, with a higher disease burden for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged population groups within and across societies.