In March 2021, ‘A Global Consensus for Achieving a Dental Cavity-Free Future’ was published by the ACFF Making Cavities History Taskforce. In the month since, the momentum has continued with the documents gaining a lot of traction around the world, prompting discussions across multiple countries, associations and health ministries at both a national and global level.
The consensus policy recommendations lay out clear measures for policymakers to follow to promote oral and general health through minimising the occurrence and progression of caries and cavities. These recommendations support the approaches outlined in the WHO 2021 Resolution on Oral Health which will be put forward to the World Health Assembly in May 2021. If the WHO Oral Health Resolution passes, the adoption of the MCH recommendations will effectively support the resulting shift towards a more preventively focused approach to oral health, with benefits seen across wider health arenas.
Since the publication of the consensus documents, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has endorsed the initiative and believes it clearly highlights the importance of collaboration between professionals and associations from across the spectrum of public health in tackling this issue, rather than approaching caries prevention as solely a dental responsibility. The WFPHA’s endorsement is a vital step in gaining the recognition and support that the Consensus needs to continue gaining traction on a global level.
The Consensus will also form part of the FDI Scientific Programme at the 2021 conference in a session called ‘Policy into Practice: Making Cavities History’. This session will be an amazing opportunity to tell the story of how the Consensus was created through the collaborative efforts of the Making Cavities History Taskforce as well as outline the next steps that are recommended in the document for policy makers to follow, along with the impact of the recommendations on both the dental and wider health workforces.
The ACFF is continuing to share the recommendations far and wide, so please keep an eye out for further exciting updates.
You can read the full document here
If you would like to read more about the background of the Making Cavities History project and the Taskforce please visit the Making Cavities History webpage.
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