World Oral Health Day 2025: Common Diseases Linked To Poor Dental Care

World Oral Health Day 2025: A global population of approximately 3.7 billion people is affected by oral diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is evident that many people overlook oral health issues and do not treat them as seriously as more well-known conditions. But did you know that your mouth plays a crucial role in your overall health?

As the entry point for food, your oral hygiene directly impacts your overall well-being. To emphasize the importance of oral hygiene and the diseases linked to poor dental care, the French organization Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) established World Oral Health Day in 2007. Since then, March 20 has been observed annually as World Oral Health Day.

Also read: World Oral Health Day 2025: 10 Foods And Drinks To Maintain Fresh Breath All The Time

What is World Oral Health Day?

On World Oral Health Day, organizations, hospitals, NGOs, etc. mostly join hands to serve the public free of cost by setting up makeshift camps to treat patients who have a history of oral diseases.

According to a study by the Global Burden of Disease 2021, it revealed that the most common health condition linked to poor oral hygiene is tooth decay caused by untreated dental issues. Possessing tooth decay with a bit of food stuck in your teeth can lead to an overspreading of bad breath due to the growth of bacteria causing a foul smell.

Common diseases linked to poor dental care

• Bad breath
• Periodontal (gum) disease
• Edentulism (total tooth loss
• Oral cancer
• Oro-dental trauma
• Noma 
• Clef lip and palate

“Oral diseases are caused by a range of modifiable risk factors common to many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including sugar consumption, tobacco use, alcohol use and poor hygiene, and their underlying social and commercial determinants.” states WHO.