International day of older persons: Healthy ageing starts across the life course
Ten years of action, collaboration and progress. Explore how FDI’s OHAP initiative has helped advance oral health for healthy ageing worldwide.
In celebrating the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, FDI reaffirms the importance of supporting healthy ageing throughout the life course. For FDI, this day also provides an opportunity to reflect on the critical role of oral health and oral function in enabling older adults to maintain their health, independence and quality of life.
Since 2015, FDI has been working through the Oral Health for an Ageing Population (OHAP) initiative to raise awareness of the importance of oral health in healthy ageing and to support dental professionals, National Dental Associations (NDAs), policymakers and other stakeholders in addressing the oral health needs of ageing populations.
Over the past decade, OHAP has produced a range of practical resources and tools designed to support this vision. These include the Chairside Guide, Frailty Guide and Exercise Brochure, as well as the Lucerne Pathway, each contributing to the broader objective of maintaining oral function, preventing oral diseases, and addressing oral and general frailty. More recently, the OHAP Advocacy Guide, launched in 2025, provided NDAs, oral health advocates and policymakers with an additional practical tool to promote the integration of oral care into healthy ageing strategies and policies.
As OHAP reaches its 10-year milestone, made possible through the generous and longstanding support of GC International and the Nakao Foundation, we are taking this opportunity to celebrate a decade of collaboration and progress in advancing oral health for healthy ageing.
To mark this milestone, FDI has also developed a 10-year OHAP infographic, highlighting the journey of the initiative, the resources developed, and how OHAP has worked to scale its impact across different care settings and reach older adults, dental professionals, caregivers and policymakers.
Reaching ten years also provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and to consider how the work of OHAP can continue to reach and benefit more people. As the initiative moves into this next stage, FDI looks forward to building on the strong foundation established over the past decade and exploring opportunities to further promote the global implementation of the resources developed through OHAP.
On this International Day of Older Persons, we celebrate a decade of OHAP and the shared commitment to making oral health an integral part of healthy ageing—and look forward to continuing this important work together.
