Dentists and dental teams engage people of all ages during their practice and thereby have the greatest potential of any group in society to advocate for access to optimal oral health. Advocating for systemic change may not be part of the dentist’s professional curriculum, but it is a natural progression for the 21st century oral healthcare provider.

FDI has launched its Vision 2030 Implementation Toolkit to build its membership's capacity for effective advocacy on oral health. The toolkit calls on oral health advocates to keep oral diseases high up on their government's agenda and shares how to run successful advocacy campaigns that change policies and transform lives.

 

A toolkit for transformative advocacy

There have been momentous developments in the global oral health landscape since 2021. FDI, with the support of its members and strategic partners, has succeeded in helping to place oral health at the heart of the global health and development agenda. Global advocacy efforts have led to the biggest shifts in oral health care to date, and there is a united commitment and determination to increase access to affordable and timely oral health care for populations everywhere like never before.

This ‘how-to-toolkit’ highlights strategies that can be implemented to leverage all the significant developments in the global oral health policy landscape. It provides tools and resources to support national advocacy efforts and aims to help inform discussions with governments and policymakers so that oral health challenges are turned into opportunities and solutions, leading to improved oral health.

Read the toolkit and explore the additional resources to see how on-the-ground advocacy can – and needs to – capitalize on this resource to ensure change takes place in your country.