Celebrated annually on 20 March and led by the FDI World Dental Federation, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) highlights the essential role of oral health in daily life. This year’s theme, A happy mouth is a happy life, brings that message to life. Our abilities to eat, speak, socialise, and thrive all depend on oral health. Good daily habits protect long-term wellbeing, reduce the global NCD burden, and ensure that oral health is viewed as a foundational part of everyday health.

However, without meaningful policy reform and sustained investment, the ambition of WOHD 2026 will remain aspirational rather than transformative. Oral diseases affect around 3.7 billion people, yet they remain mostly preventable. The consequences go beyond pain and discomfort — they impact economic productivity and overall health. Research from the Economist Impact’s Health Inclusivity Index, supported by Haleon, revealed that untreated tooth decay leads to an estimated 3.1 billion work hours lost annually, costing US$34.7 billion across the 40 studied countries.

Further, poor oral health is linked to life-changing conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, highlighting the importance of prevention and early intervention in oral health as part of efforts to reduce the global NCD burden. The same study uncovered US$181.6 billion of potential diabetes-related healthcare savings from oral health promotion and effective gum disease management. These savings clearly demonstrate the scale of the problem.

With oral health now firmly on the global health agenda, the next challenge is translating this momentum into meaningful action on the ground. Turning policy progress into lasting change requires sustained leadership and investment from policymakers at the national level, backed by support from wide ranging stakeholders.

“This year’s campaign reminds us that at every stage of life, from pregnancy and early childhood to older age, a healthy mouth supports our confidence, comfort, and quality of life. By bringing together governments, health professionals, and partners, we can unite our voices to strengthen prevention and promote healthier habits — a message that becomes louder when we act together,” said FDI President, Asst Prof. Nikolai Sharkov.

Guided by its purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity, Haleon, a consumer company, is committed to better understanding and addressing the connections between oral health and overall health. An example of this commitment is Haleon’s support for INDICATE2 in the UK. With around one in three people in the UK estimated to have undiagnosed diabetes, and nine in ten unaware of its link to gum health, a trial with the University of Birmingham and the National Institute for Health Research is exploring the potential benefits of routine diabetes screening during oral health checkups.

“Poor oral health is linked to several noncommunicable diseases, which means prevention and early intervention can make a real difference to long-term health outcomes,” said Jayant Singh, Global Head of Oral Health at Haleon. “While global recognition is a significant step forward, partnerships are what allow real impact to scale. By working with organisations like the FDI and its global network of National Dental Associations, we’re able to turn global momentum into meaningful action at a local level to deliver better everyday health — bringing initiatives like World Oral Health Day to life in communities around the world.”

The UN’s formal recognition of oral health within the NCD framework is a major milestone — but it’s only the beginning. This WOHD 2026, FDI and Haleon call on policymakers and key stakeholders around the world to move beyond awareness and commit to concrete action, thus ensuring equitable access to oral healthcare services across every stage of life.