People who have been forcibly displaced by conflict are among the most vulnerable populations worldwide. Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh is home to the world’s largest refugee camp, where the scale of displacement has created significant health needs among refugees.

Oral health is one such need. Despite the global prevalence of dental caries affecting the majority of adults and 60–90% of schoolchildren, it remains a largely overlooked area of care for this population.

To address this gap, FDI, in collaboration with the Refugee Crisis Foundation (RCF), joined forces for an initiative under the Refugee Oral Health Promotion and Care project. The aim: to move beyond treating oral diseases towards a preventive, community-based approach that reduces disease burden and empowers people to maintain good oral health.

The results of this work are presented in a recently published International Dental Journal (IDJ) article.

Read the article

School-based interventions show impact
The IDJ article reports promising results from school-based programmes in Cox’s Bazar. By promoting daily toothbrushing and handwashing, the initiative achieved:

• Higher rates of consistent oral hygiene practices
• Reduced plaque and gum bleeding among children
• Arrested tooth decay in over half of the teeth treated with silver diamine fluoride (SDF)

These outcomes show that even in challenging humanitarian settings, simple, preventive strategies can protect oral health — ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to a healthy smile.

Read and share the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653925002163