Whole Body Health
The Whole Body Health project has three major goals;
- Raise awareness of the importance of whole-body health in oral health.(www.fdiworlddental.org, n.d.)
- Provide guidance for health professionals to communicate with their patients about oral-systemic disease.(www.fdiworlddental.org, n.d.)
- Encourage National Dental Associations to advocate for the inclusion of oral health into national NCD action plans and strategies. (www.fdiworlddental.org, n.d.)
Oral health’s relationship with whole body health
Oral health care across the world is commonly segregated from general health and medical systems. This separation has been detrimental, underestimating how integral oral health is to the body’s overall health. Recent and emerging research has increased professionals’ understanding of oral disease and its connection with systemic health. Oral health is a good indicator of general health; oral diseases share modifiable risk factors and social determinants with Non-communicable diseases (NCDs).(www.fdiworlddental.org, n.d.). The project’s key focus is to promote awareness and understanding about this relationship as well as encouraging National Dental Associations to advocate for oral health to be incorporated into national NCD plans and strategies.
Read the following page for more information on oral and systemic health.
The FDI supply a number of useful resources. The Whole Body Diagram is an interactive platform sharing the latest and emerging research of the relationship between oral and whole body health.
FDI World Dental Federation
The FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) is one of the oldest organisations in Dentistry, its membership consists of over 200 national dental associations and specialist groups across 130 plus countries. A representative body for over one million dentists world wide, the FDI’s bold vision is to lead the world to optimal oral health (FDI Generally Assembly – Sep 2006). Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the FDI is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) including other governmental, international partners, non-governmental and other corporate partners.
FDI – Other Resources
References
www.fdiworlddental.org. (n.d.). Whole body Health | FDI. [online] Available at: https://www.fdiworlddental.org/whole-body-health [Accessed 10 Aug. 2023].
