This year, The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future is uniting chapters across the world to raise awareness that people of all ages are susceptible to dental caries and cavities. Having conversations about oral health can help prevent that.

Looking ahead to October 14^th, 2020, the fifth annual World Cavity-Free Future Day (WCFFDay) will focus on tooth decay as a disease across the life course, with each age group and generation experiencing different challenges and needs for the best oral care. WCFFDay is an initiative run by the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF), a global not for profit organisation with ties to King's College London's Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences.

Globally, nearly 100% of adults have tooth decay and oral disease affects 3.9 billion people worldwide, with untreated tooth decay impacting almost half of the world’s population. More casual conversations among adults, children and seniors about dental care is a great place to start to help people of all ages focus on their dental health and reduce these numbers worldwide.

WCFFDay was launched as an initiative in 2016 to address the need for greater global awareness of dental caries. 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.

Ways to get involved with this year’s campaign include:

• Use the hashtags #toothtales and #WCFFDay on social media this October 14^th
• Enter their video competition, accepting entries through September 30^th, with a 30-second video telling us how you think we can achieve a cavity-free future. Watch, like and share the current entries here. ACFF will announce the winning videos live on WCFFDay.
• Share your top tooth-healthy tips or show ACFF your best smiles to demonstrate your commitment to a cavity-free future
• Learn more about WCFFDay and ACFF and find out what activities are happening in your area

“Untreated tooth decay continues to present a major international challenge across the life-course, unfortunately ranking number 1 in the Global Burden of Disease Study,”said Professor Nigel Pitts, ACFF Global Chairman and Professor of Dental Health at King's College London.

“People of all ages need to learn how to prioritize their dental health. Starting a simple discussion of how we best can look after our teeth can create broader awareness and help all generations understand how we can achieve a cavity-free future.”

 

More information and resources on cavity prevention can be found here: https://www.acffglobal.org/wcffday/about/

 

 

About The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future:

The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (https://www.acffglobal.org/) is a global not-for-profit organisation which seeks to promote integrated clinical and public health action to confront the disease burden of caries, fight caries initiation and progression, and, along with a global community of supporters, progress towards a Cavity-Free Future for all age groups. The ACFF was established with support from King's College London, in collaboration with a worldwide panel of experts in dentistry and public health who share a fervent belief in joining together across professional, geographic, and stakeholder lines, to create a unified global movement dutifully committed to combating caries in communities around the world.