What is World Cavity-Free Future Day?
World Cavity-Free Future Day (WCFFDay) was launched as an initiative in 2016 by the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF). Its mission is to address the need for greater global awareness of dental caries, the disease which, when left unaddressed, can lead to dental cavities. In addition, ACFF focuses on the wider issues that stem from poor dental health and raises global awareness about best practices for the prevention and management of caries and cavities.
WCFFDay is a global awareness day and is celebrated around the world with multiple efforts supported by ACFF Chapters including outreach events, educational drives, free oral-care consultations, professional webinars, school-based education efforts and many more activities coordinated by local communities and partner organisations.
WCFFDay aims to engage communities around the world in this global flight and offers the chance to send a ‘wakeup call’ to those with the ability to make social, economic and political changes to encourage action towards achieving a cavity-free future.
Why is World Cavity-Free Future Day Important?
Dental caries is the most common chronic disease on the planet, despite being largely preventable. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide 60–90% of school children and nearly 100% of adults suffer from cavities, which can dramatically impact the sufferers’ quality of life through pain and discomfort, missed days or decreased participation in school and work. Additionally, the economic impact of costly treatment, which remains unaffordable to many of those patients in the disenfranchised communities who suffer most, can contribute as an added strain.
Helping individuals understand the importance of taking control of their oral health, starting by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and reducing their frequency of sugar intake, is a key step on the road towards reducing the number of people who develop cavities and helping secure a cavity-free future for generations to come.