19.12.2002 – 10:53

Weber Shandwick Worldwide

Improve General Health by adressing oral disease says international expert panel

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Osaka (ots)

First Coordination meeting on oral health and systemic health -
december 5 & 6 2002 - Geneva Switzerland

The 600 million* people worldwide who suffer from
severe periodontal (gum) disease should act to prevent and treat
their disease, thereby reducing the risk or consequences of diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and pre-term low birth weight babies. This
was the general conclusion at the end of a ground-breaking meeting
recently held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 2-day meeting, hosted and organized by the Japan-based Sunstar
Foundation for Oral Health Promotion, is the first international
event gathering medical and dental experts, World Health Organization
(WHO) officials, and NGO representatives. 40 scientists came together
to study the growing evidence showing that oral disease, i.e.
moderate to severe periodontal disease, is a significant risk factor
for general health conditions such as diabetes, pre-term and low
birth weight babies, and cardiovascular disease.

At the meeting's conclusion, participants agreed to a consensus
statement calling for policies and actions plans to capitalize on
this new knowledge in promoting oral health, general health and total
well-being at global, regional and national levels. (See Consensus
Statement attached)

General Health Problems Potentially Linked to Oral Health
Diabetes. The scientists and health policy experts examined the
latest  data demonstrating significant two-way relationships between
moderate and severe periodontal disease and diabetes. The latter
disease was recently  acknowledged by the WHO as a major
non-communicable disease whose occurrence is growing dramatically in
both developed and developing communities around the world.

Pre-term low birth weight babies. The medical and dental
scientists further reported evidence linking poor oral health with
adverse pregnancy outcomes. Presenters highlighted new findings
confirming the higher occurrence of pre-term low birth weight babies
among women suffering from moderate to severe periodontal disease.

Cardiovascular disease. The international experts also presented
the  latest research data pointing to severe periodontal disease as a
 significant risk factor for compromised cardiovascular health.

The WHO officials emphasized that poor nutrition, tobacco and
alcohol use, obesity and socio-economic status were increasingly
being seen as a group of key risk factors common to oral health and
general health status, both  being essential for overall well-being.

Landmark Consensus Statement on Oral Health and General Health

"This meeting is a landmark for us - it has lead to new
understanding of oral health, a broader perspective and deepened
cooperation between key  players from the medical and dental
communities," said Mr Hiroo Kaneda**, Chairman of Sunstar Foundation
for Oral Health Promotion.

"The key health implication from this conference is that
prevention and  control of severe periodontal disease processes may
lead to general health benefits, including lower rates of
cardiovascular disease, fewer pre-term  low birth weight babies and
improved diabetic control," said Professor John Stamm, Dean of the
School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina  at Chapel Hill.

The assembled experts also agreed that beyond the direct benefits
of  better oral and general health, people simultaneously accrue
important and measurable enhancements to their quality of life, e.g.
self-confidence, appearance, speech and mastication. Quality of life
issues are central to overall well-being, and thus take on key
importance in considering approaches to health promotion and disease
prevention for better oral and general health, and the development
and implementation of oral health  policy.

Finally, conference participants strongly encouraged dental and
medical professionals to incorporate treatment for moderate and
severe periodontal disease into preventive and therapeutic clinical
research protocols aimed at diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
pre-term low birth weight babies.

Conclusions from the Coordination Meeting on Oral Health and
Systemic Health

• Oral health is an integral component of general health.
• There is clear evidence that oral disease, particularly moderate and severe periodontal disease, can have a significant bearing on systemic diseases and general health.
• While the cumulative data are strongest relative to diabetes mellitus, growing evidence demonstrates an association between moderate to severe periodontal disease and pre-term low birth weight babies and cardiovascular disease.
• There is also clear evidence that systemic diseases, e.g. diabetes, and adverse health behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, can significantly increase susceptibility to oral diseases.
• Given the importance of oral health to general health and overall well-being, it is critical that oral disease prevention and treatment be an integral component of national, regional and community health promotion initiatives.
• Public / private partnerships should be enlisted to help promote the translation of state-of-the-art oral health science into public health policy and programs.
• Basic and clinical biomedical research into the relationships between oral and systemic diseases is essential to more precisely define mechanisms of action and to establish specific and effective disease prevention and health promotion strategies amenable to worldwide implementation.
• 10-15% of the world's population is estimated to be suffering from severe periodontal disease, with milder forms of the disease affecting up to 70% of the world population.
• Mr Hiroo Kaneda, Chairman of Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion, was recently presented with the prestigious Emperor's Award in Japan, as recognition of his lifetime's work in oral health promotion. Mr Kaneda was one of the architects of the highly successful 80 20 program, which encourages Japanese people to practice oral health habits so that at 80 years of age, each person has at least 20 of his or her own teeth remaining. Name of the meeting: The Coordination Meeting on Oral Health and Systemic Health Dates: December 5 (Thu) and 6 (Fri), 2002 Place: Geneva, Switzerland

Organizers: The Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion
    Sponsors: Sunstar Inc. and the John O. Butler Company
    Enclosures: Consensus Statement and List of Attendees

For further information, please contact:
    Yasuo Hashimoto, Public Relations Center of Sunstar Inc. (Osaka,
    Japan) E-mail:  publicrelations@unisunstar.com

The Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion is a non-profit
organization established in 1977 by the President of Sunstar Inc., Mr
Hiroo Kaneda, who said that "Health and happiness in body and mind is
 directly related to your oral health. We all wish to keep our teeth
throughout our lifetime. The mission of the Sunstar Foundation for
Oral  Health Promotion is, therefore, to help to achieve this by
providing such  medical assistance as dental treatments and
preventative care while  encouraging oral education and research. The
Foundation supports those in  particular need - older people, the
seriously ill and children, and  focuses its attention on making
everyone's life happier and brighter with  healthier, stronger teeth
and gums."

Consensus Statement

by the Participants of the Coordination Meeting On Oral Health and
Systemic Health, Geneva, December 5 & 6, 2002 Periodontal Disease –
Health Policy Implications

Oral health is recognized as an essential component of health and
well-being. Recognizing the evolving scientific evidence
demonstrating linkages between periodontal disease and systemic
health, and their potential impact on overall health and quality of
life, we, participants of the Coordination Meeting on Oral Health and
Systemic Health, Geneva, December 5 & 6, 2002, support:

• Explicit recognition of the oral health - general health link in national, regional and global oral health and general health policies.
• Increased coordination and dialogue between dental and medical NGOs, international institutions, governments and industry, on the relationships between oral health and general health.
• The integration of oral health into overall health policy development at national, regional and global levels.
• Stronger relationships between medical and oral health care communities to develop strategies to educate practitioners and raise global public awareness about the periodontal disease - general health link and common risk factors.

To achieve these goals, we affirm our commitment to:

• Working collaboratively to advance the oral health - general health agenda globally, both within and between our organizations and at appropriate levels of public - private partnerships.
• Supporting concerted action and cooperation with the World Health Organization regarding its oral health / general health policy priorities while retaining also the specific aspects of oral health.
• Encouraging the prioritisation of funding destined to information / education / research projects exploring the interactive association between periodontal disease and general health.
• Engaging in further coordination meetings, involving health care professionals, on specific aspects of the periodontal health-general health link, of common risk factors and other inter-relationships, as the science evolves.
• Encouraging continued globally coordinated research to expand and clarify scientific insights into the periodontal health / general health relationship.
• Promoting the integration of oral health components into the planning and conduct of major national and international medical studies of health, disease prevention and therapy.

Contact:

Walter Bruderer
Weber Shandwick, Geneva / Paris
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Switzerland
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