Oral Health

The consequences of neglecting oral health are significant. Oral disease can interfere with the ability to speak, chew, and swallow. In some cases, painful mouth conditions can result in overuse of emergency rooms and lost productivity, and contribute to low self-esteem. Oral disease, in children alone, is responsible for almost 52 million lost school hours each year.

This GIH Issue Focus shares strategies that foundations are using to address access to dental health services.

This GIH Issue Focus outlines factors affecting oral health, and provides suggestions on what health funders can do.