Oral health has long been neglected in global health efforts, but the tide is starting to shift. Last month, the World Health Organization released its first-ever Global Oral Health Status Report—co-edited by NYU Dentistry Professor Habib Benzian—which creates a comprehensive picture of oral health around the world with data profiles for 194 countries. For instance, in the US, nearly half of adults have signs of gum disease. “We hope that our candid diagnosis of challenges and problems initiates a broad societal, professional, and political discussion,” said Benzian, co-director of the NYU Dentistry WHO Collaborating Center for Quality-improvement, Evidence-based Dentistry. “Continuing ‘business as usual’ is not an option.”
