Abstract: Oral Health and Disability – the FDI World Dental Federation Perspective

 

The FDI World Dental Federation is the worldwide, authoritative and independent voice of the dental profession with more than 150 member associations in over 130 countries, representing more than 900,000 dentists.

It is a core mission of the FDI that all people should have access to the best possible care to achieve optimal oral health. The FDI considers oral health an integral component of general health and as such a human right. As an international organisation the FDI develops and sets standards outlined in policy statements. The FDI’s General Assembly approved a policy statement on Oral and Dental Care of People with Disabilities in 2003. The statement recognises and supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and addresses four key areas:

1. Access to oral care is a human right and the dental professional should do everything to support and promote access to care.
2. The ethical obligation of the dental professional to offer the same standard of care to all patients, irrespective of their individual status. This principle is detailed in the International Principle of Ethics for the Dental Profession.
3. There is an obligation to prevent oral diseases through appropriate activities and programmes that take the special needs of disabled persons into account.
4. The dental team and professional organisation have an important role in the policy development process to ensure that programmes and policies are developed and in place that recognise and address the special needs of disabled persons.

The oral health and oral care situation of disabled persons needs to be seen in the wider context of inequalities and disparities. The FDI supports and encourages a comprehensive approach to reduce inequalities, both in terms of disease burden and access to oral care.

It is of crucial importance to recognise inequalities wherever they occur and to engage in an open dialogue with all stakeholders. The FDI is keen to facilitate and support such processes and promotes an active role of its member associations worldwide in this context.

Dr Habib Benzian, FDI Development & Public Health Manager, will be speaking on this topic at the 18th Congress of International Association for Disability and Oral Health