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EDITORIAL
O
n September 6, 2016, a new definition of oral health was over-
Michael Glick, DMD; David M.
whelmingly approved by the FDI World Dental Federation
Williams, BDS, MSc, PhD; Dushanka V.
General Assembly. This was a key part of the organization’s
Kleinman, DDS, MScD; Marko Vujicic,
advocacy and strategic plan—Vision 2020.1 The definition,
PhD; Richard G. Watt, BDS, MSc, PhD;
together with a companion framework, creates an opportunity for the
Robert J. Weyant, DMD, DrPH
profession to reflect on what oral health encompasses and what the im-
plications are of this definition for clinical practice and oral health policy.
But why was a new definition needed?
Although oral health has been recognized for millennia to be an essential
component of overall health and well-being, it has not been clear whether
oral health has meant the same thing for different components of our pro-
fession and for our stakeholders. And if we are uncertain as a profession what
disease to providing
care and support for
oral health;
- uses language that
Efforts are under way to assess and versity at Buffalo, The State University of New Disclosure. The authors did not report any
York, Buffalo, NY. He also is the editor of The disclosures.
measure this new definition of oral Journal of the American Dental Association.
health, and work in the United States Address correspondence to Dr. Glick at School ORCID Number. Michael Glick: http://orcid.
has started, as demonstrated by the of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, The org/0000-0003-4236-5385.
American Dental Association Health State University of New York, 355 Squire Hall,
Buffalo, NY 14214-8006, e-mail glickm@ 1. Glick M, Monteiro da Silva M, Seeberger GK,
Policy Institute.4 We now have a buffalo.edu. et al. FDI Vision 2020: shaping the future of oral
definition of oral health that will Dr. Williams is a professor, Global Oral Health, health. Int Dent J. 2012;62:278-291.
enable a conversation that creates Institute of Dentistry, Bart’s and The London 2. World Dental Federation. FDI in brief.
School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, Available at: http://www.fdiworldental.org/
a common understanding University of London, London, United Kingdom. about-fdi/fdi-in-brief/fdi-in-brief.aspx.
when addressing the needs of people Dr. Kleinman is a professor, School of Public Accessed October 1, 2016.
and communities and when making Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. 3. World Health Organization. Commission
Dr. Vujicic is the chief economist and vice on Social Determinants of Health: final report.
the case for the importance of optimal president, Health Policy Institute, American Available at: http://www.who.int/social_
oral health for all. Let’s get started. n Dental Association, Chicago, IL. determinants/thecommission/finalreport/en/.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2016.10.001 Dr. Watt is a professor and the chair, Depart- Accessed October 2, 2016.
ment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Uni- 4. American Dental Association Health Policy
Copyright ª 2016 American Dental versity College London, London, United Institute. Oral health and well-being in the
Association. All rights reserved. Kingdom. United States. Available at: http://www.ada.org/
Dr. Weyant is a professor and the chair, en/science-research/health-policy-institute/
Dr. Glick is a professor and the William M. Department of Dental Public Health, University oral-health-and-well-being. Accessed October
Feagans Chair, School of Dental Medicine, Uni- of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 2, 2016.