This page brings together the most up-to-date global oral health statistics.

It is designed for journalists and media professionals seeking reliable data on oral health, disease burden, and oral health behaviours.

Dental disease prevalence

• Dental caries remains the most common health condition worldwide, with an estimated 2.5 billion people living with untreated tooth decay in permanent teeth. ¹

• Around 514 million children have untreated decay in their primary teeth. ¹

• Severe periodontal (gum) disease affects almost one-in-five adults globally (19%), which equates to around 1 billion people. ²

• Edentulism (complete tooth loss) is widespread in older populations, with prevalence exceeding 30% of adults over 65 years in many high-income countries. ³

Mouth cancer

• Each year, there are more than 377,700 new cases of lip and oral cavity cancer worldwide, leading to around 177,700 deaths. ⁴

• The highest incidence is in South Asia, parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and the Pacific Islands, where tobacco, alcohol, betel quid, and HPV are major risk factors. ⁴

Oral health behaviours

• Global surveys show that toothbrushing twice daily is not universal. In many low- and middle-income countries, fewer than half of children and adults brush their teeth twice a day. ⁵

• Use of fluoride toothpaste varies widely, with limited access and affordability a significant barrier in many parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ⁵

• Sugar consumption remains a major risk factor. The WHO recommends that free sugar intake should be less than 10% of total energy intake, with further benefits if below 5%. ⁶ Average global intake is well above this threshold. ⁶

Access and workforce

• Globally, more than 3.5 billion people have no access to essential oral healthcare. ¹

• The dental workforce is unevenly distributed. In high-income countries, there may be 60 dentists per 100,000 population, compared with fewer than 5 per 100,000 in many low-income countries. ⁷

• Out-of-pocket payment remains the main way people pay for dental treatment worldwide, with oral health care often excluded from universal health coverage. ⁷

Impacts on daily life

• Untreated oral disease leads to pain, infection, and difficulties eating, speaking, and learning. WHO estimates that oral diseases account for over 20 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually, making them one of the top contributors to the global disease burden. ¹

• Children with poor oral health are more likely to miss school, and adults may lose working days due to untreated pain and emergency dental visits. ⁸

Inequalities

• Oral health inequalities are stark. Decay rates are highest in children from poorer and disadvantaged groups across all regions. ¹

• In low-income countries, oral cancer is often diagnosed late, leading to much higher mortality compared with high-income countries. ⁴

• Access to fluoride, whether through toothpaste, water fluoridation, or salt fluoridation, remains highly unequal across regions. ⁵

Economics

• The global economic impact of dental diseases is estimated at US$ 544 billion per year – around US$ 356 billion in direct treatment costs and US$ 188 billion in productivity losses. ⁹

• Dental caries alone accounts for nearly half of these costs, making it one of the most expensive diseases to treat worldwide. ⁹

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References

1. WHO. Global Oral Health Status Report. (2022).
2. Kassebaum NJ et al. Global burden of severe periodontitis: 1990–2019. Journal of Dental Research. (2020).
3. Petersen PE, Ogawa H. The global burden of periodontal disease: towards integration with chronic disease prevention. Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology. (2012).
4. IARC (GLOBOCAN 2020). Lip and oral cavity cancer statistics.
5. WHO. Oral health fact sheet. (2022).
6. WHO. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. (2015).
7. FDI World Dental Federation. Vision 2030: Delivering Optimal Oral Health for All. (2021).
8. Peres MA et al. Oral diseases: a global public health challenge. The Lancet. (2019).
9. Listl S et al. Global economic impact of dental diseases. Journal of Dental Research. (2015).