World Oral Health Day: Why Oral Health Is Health – and Why Dental Professionals Matter More Than Ever

On World Oral Health Day (WOHD), Dentsply Sirona highlights the essential role dental professionals play in supporting healthier lives - and reinforces that oral health is an integral part of overall health. As a long-standing partner of WOHD, this engagement is part of Dentsply Sirona's sustainability strategy, "BEYOND: Taking Action for a Brighter World", reflecting the company's commitment to increasing access to care, fostering health education and long-term societal impact. With oral diseases affecting nearly 3.7 billion people worldwide¹, collaboration across dentistry, public health, education and industry is key to advancing prevention, awareness and access to quality care.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March, 2025. Every day, dental professionals around the world help patients eat, speak, smile, and live healthier lives. Often quietly and behind the scenes, dentistry plays a critical role in maintaining not only oral health, but overall health and well-being. On WOHD, Dentsply Sirona joins the global dental community in reinforcing a message that is increasingly supported by scientific evidence: oral health is an integral part of general health.

"Oral health cannot be separated from the rest of the body," said Dr. Nikolai Sharkov, President of FDI World Dental Federation. "The evidence is clear: when oral health is neglected, the consequences extend far beyond the mouth. Integrating oral health into broader health systems is essential if we want to improve overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Conditions such as periodontal disease have been linked to systemic issues including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recognizing these connections highlights the need for coordinated care that places oral health alongside other essential components of preventive and primary healthcare."

Dental professionals at the center of prevention and care

Dental professionals play a vital role in prevention, early detection, and long-term care at every stage of life - from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and older age. This year's WOHD theme, "A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life," highlights how oral health supports not only physical well-being, but also confidence, participation, and quality of life throughout the lifespan.

By supporting patients through regular care, education, and early intervention, dental professionals help prevent disease before it progresses and contribute to healthier outcomes over time - reinforcing the importance of oral health as a lifelong priority.

Advancing awareness through collaboration and education

Despite growing evidence, oral health is still too often treated in isolation from general health in public awareness, policy, and healthcare delivery. Advancing a more integrated approach requires collaboration across dentistry, public health, education, and industry.

Dentsply Sirona supports these efforts through long-standing partnerships with organizations such as FDI World Dental Federation, founder of WOHD, and academic institutions including the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. This includes supporting Harvard's Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine, which aims to translate evidence on the oral-systemic health connection into real-world practice by advancing research, education and policy frameworks that better integrate oral health into overall healthcare. By contributing our clinical expertise, technical support, and global reach to these partnerships, we can help ensure oral health is never an afterthought, but a standard part of managing overall health -like including an oral screening in diabetes care plans, for which we have a pilot ongoing in Denmark. Together, these partnerships aim to translate evidence into action - strengthening awareness of the oral-systemic health connection and supporting prevention-focused, people-centered care models.

In parallel, Dentsply Sirona supports dental professionals through innovative technologies, integrated solutions, and clinical education, helping clinicians deliver efficient, predictable, and high-quality care while maintaining the highest standards of clinical safety.

A shared commitment on World Oral Health Day

This WOHD, Dentsply Sirona reaffirms its commitment to standing alongside dental professionals and partners worldwide to raise awareness that oral health is health. By supporting advocacy, education, and innovation, the company contributes to a shared goal: ensuring oral health is recognized as a fundamental component of overall health and well-being.

"When we connect oral health with general health, prevention becomes stronger and outcomes improve," said Rainer Seemann, Vice President Chief Clinical Officer at Dentsply Sirona. "Our role is to support dental professionals with the solutions, education, and partnerships they need to deliver care that truly improves patients' lives."

WOHD serves as a reminder of the essential role dental professionals play - not only in restoring smiles, but in supporting communities every day.

Explore the WOHD action toolkit, which features advocacy cards, community event guides, educational materials, and campaign assets to help drive collaborative action and promote oral health in your community. To directly access these assets, visit https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources.

1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health