On this World Health Day, we celebrate the strides humanity has made toward universal health coverage, equitable access, and disease prevention. Yet there remains one critical truth too often overlooked: there is no health without oral health. And sadly, a deeply entrenched divide within our health systems continues to undermine that truth.
As someone who has spent the last decade traveling across the globe—working in communities from Haiti to India, from Grenada to Latin America—I’ve seen a pattern repeat itself with painful consistency: a profound disconnect between the medical and dental professions. It’s a fracture not rooted in science, but in something far more human—ego.
Dentists are often siloed away from the rest of the healthcare community, dismissed as secondary to medicine. Meanwhile, many medical doctors carry an air of superiority, rarely recognizing the systemic impact of oral health on overall well-being. On the other hand, dentists sometimes avoid collaboration, conditioned to believe their domain is separate and self-contained. The result? A fragmented healthcare system that overlooks the mouth—the very gateway to the body.
Oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally. Tooth decay is the most common noncommunicable disease on Earth. Poor oral health is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and even mental health challenges. Yet in most healthcare systems, oral health remains an afterthought—undervalued, underfunded, and under-integrated.
This must change.
World Health Day is the perfect moment to acknowledge that collaboration is no longer optional—it’s essential. We all do better when we work together. When dentists, doctors, nurses, and public health professionals come together as one team, the ripple effects can transform communities. Prevention improves. Early detection skyrockets. Outcomes improve. Costs go down.
This is a call to humility and unity. It’s time for dentists and doctors to put aside professional pride and build bridges—not barriers. We must reshape our health systems to reflect the interconnectedness of the human body. That means co-creating care models, co-teaching in schools, and co-leading public health campaigns. Oral health is not a luxury or cosmetic concern—it’s a fundamental pillar of human health.
The mouth is not separate from the body. It’s a vital part of it. Let’s stop pretending otherwise.
On this World Health Day, may we remember: our patients deserve more than pride-fueled silos. They deserve a healthcare system that sees them fully, treats them wholly, and serves them collaboratively. Let’s make oral health a global health priority—and let’s do it together.