Published: August 2017

The primary focus of the global NCD response has been on the four major diseases – namely cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases – and four risk factors – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol – identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) as those responsible for the greatest burden. There is, however, a range of diseases and conditions including oral diseases, mental and neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis, bone and joint conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis, renal, eye and ear diseases that are linked to the four most prominent NCDs.

This policy brief highlights associations between oral diseases and NCDs, and provides recommendations for their prevention and control.