Almost half of the world population suffers from oral diseases, says WHO 

Almost half of the world's population or 3.5 billion people, have an oral disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. 

In a new report, the United Nations agency said that around 45% of the world's population has at least one of the most common oral diseases, including tooth decay, severe gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancers. 

Untreated dental caries, the most common condition, affects around 2.5 billion people. Severe gum disease, which can cause total tooth loss, affects around one billion. In the case of oral cancer, at least 380,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, the WHO added. 

The report is the first comprehensive study on the subject ever carried out. It analyzed data from 194 countries, finding that global cases of oral health have increased by one billion over the past 30 years. 

It is "a clear indication that many people do not have access to prevention and treatment of oral diseases,” the WHO said.

The agency added that most of the population that suffers from oral diseases live in low- and middle-income countries, where they often have to pay out-of-pocket for procedures, and clinics might lack highly specialized dental equipment in primary healthcare facilities. 

"Oral health has long been neglected in global health, but many oral diseases can be prevented," said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Through the report, the WHO presented a list of proposals to address the problem, including urging countries to include oral health services in their primary care systems.