On 1 August the Oral Health Foundation launched its new strategy for oral health, which will run until 2024.

The new strategy, titled 'Better oral health for all', addresses the world's growing oral health demands. It also sets out how the charity will tackle oral disease and help improve the quality of life for millions of people in the UK and around the world.

In a bid to eradicate dental disease and build a healthier society, the charity's new strategy focuses on a series of key oral health pledges. These include:

  • Helping the most vulnerable members of society with oral health campaigns across local communities

  • Making sure young people are given the very best start in life by providing them with the means to have a healthy mouth

  • Giving all people access to free, practical and emotional support for their oral health problems

  • Meeting the needs of organisations by creating products and programmes so they can deliver trusted educational messages and training for better oral health

  • Making an impact on the health of future generations by influencing public health policy.

The strategic document comes at a time where half the globe's adult population have tooth decay, including 500 million children who have decay in their baby teeth.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, believes the new strategy will have a significant impact on the charity's work, improving the oral health and wellbeing of the population. He said: 'We are more determined than ever before to champion good oral health and help create a better, healthier future for everyone'.

To help more people achieve good oral health, the Foundation plans to strengthen its partnership work with the dental and health professions, local councils and the education sector. The charity will also become more involved in policy, lobbying government for positive changes.

Throughout the five-year strategy, the charity will also organise several new oral health campaigns on sugar, dementia, alcohol, smoking and drug awareness.

The full strategy is available at https://www.dentalhealth.org/strategy2024.