LISBON, 29.05.06 – The Portuguese Dental Association, Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas, will launch the Portuguese version of the “Tobacco or Oral Health” guide in Lisbon on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (31 May 2006).
This year’s World No Tobacco Day marks the one year anniversary of the FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) initial joint release of the “Tobacco or Oral Health” advocacy guide in English.
The publication is a practical advocacy guide for oral health professionals. It provides tobacco facts, discusses the role of dentists and tobacco control, examines the role of advocacy and provides a number of wide ranging recommendations to move the tobacco control agenda forward.
“The ‘Tobacco or Oral Health’ guide is an important tool for oral health professionals in combating the use of tobacco. Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas took the initiative to translate the advocacy guide because we think it is essential that dentists in Portugal can easily take advantage of this tool in their native language,” said Dr Orlando Monteiro da Silva, President of the Portuguese Dental Association, Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas.
“Tobacco kills - and dentists can do a lot to reduce this death toll by becoming active in smoking cessation with their patients. The FDI is keen to promote this approach to dentists around the world,” said Dr Habib Benzian, FDI Development and Public Health Manager. “We highly welcome the important initiative by Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas.”
The FDI is active in tobacco control. In addition to the “Tobacco or Oral Health” guide the FDI has issued a series of policy statements on tobacco and is also a member of the Framework Convention Alliance, a network of about 200 organisations who support the development, ratification and implementation of WHO’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control.
To access the “Tobacco or Oral Health” guide online and read more about the activities of the FDI, please visit the FDI website at http://www.fdiworldental.org/public_health/5_0tobacco.html.
To access the “Tobacco or Oral Health” guide online, please click here.
About the FDI World Dental Federation
The FDI World Dental Federation is the authoritative, worldwide voice of dentistry with more than 150 member associations in 134 countries around the world, representing more than 900,000 dentists internationally.
About Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas, Portugal
A Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas, Associação de Direito Publico, representa 5500 médicos dentistas em Portugal.
Contact information:
Christina Lee Thorsen
Communications Coordinator
FDI World Dental Federation
Email: cthorsen@fdiworldental.org