Oral health is recognized as a basic Human Right and a fundamental aspect of overall health and well-being. Despite all the evidence, oral health services are not included in the benefit coverage of Universal Health Coverage programs in many countries. In countries where some coverage exists, essential preventive and clinical services show large gaps, especially for vulnerable, disadvantaged, rural, or poorer populations.

In March 2023, FDI organized a full-day roundtable to review existing evidence on the challenges of universal access to oral care. Participants discussed what constitutes appropriate access to oral care, and reviewed replicable best practices for expanding access to oral care through integration into primary health care systems, including underserved populations.

This podcast covers the perspectives of three experts representing different fields of practice (clinical practice and service management, policy analysis, and advocacy and academia). Tony and guests’ discussion provides a robust picture of the key elements of appropriate access to oral care.

Read all about it in our recently published White Paper: Access to Oral Healthcare.

In this episode: 

1. You will learn about the importance and the meaning of universal access to oral healthcare
2. You will listen to the different perspectives of experts in the fields of policy analysis, advocacy, academia, and clinical practice
3. You will learn about what is needed to achieve universal access to oral healthcare