Erika Wichro
Geneva University, Switzerland
Title: Current challenges in dental public health and the (un)beneficial cutback of funding
Biography
Biography: Erika Wichro
Abstract
At 􀆟 mes where diseases such as Ebola, novel
Coronavirus and other infec􀆟 ous disease
outbreaks hold the news headlines, public health
den􀆟 stry ma􀆩 ers seem to be insignifi cant and
currently too small for any kind of media. Even more
so, it must be men􀆟 oned that dental public health
measures – whether in the area of prevenô€†Ÿ on or
similar do ma􀆩 er quite a bit. Teeth are painful
when we get them, then we lose them, and even
more so with issues. The current developments in
nutri􀆟 on including the increased soda consump􀆟 on
has accelerated caries and other dental problems. A
varying degree of dental hygiene, dental awareness
along with o􀅌 en required out-of-pocket dental
related spending due to too expensive dental health
insurance schemes have led to increased dental
and gum problems. Now, these issues do not only
occur among less socio-economic privileged, but
also among the wealthier popula􀆟 on. Dental care
spending is s􀆟 ll perceived a luxury and done only
when really needed, rather than an investment in
the overall individual wellbeing to minimize ground
for infec􀆟 ons. This trend is observed across the globe
with nutri􀆟 on being less natural. The no􀆟 on taking
dental health for granted leads to cut-back of related
public health measures funding due to no quick
impact and thus, no real benefi t being visible to
current decision-makers and poli􀆟 cians. What might
seem an unnecessary spending on the public dental
health today, will back-fi re over 􀆟 me in the future as
mul􀆟 ple infec􀆟 ons based in the mouth/teeth and a
poten􀆟 ally weakened human immune system.