20th March World Oral Health Day

Dear Members,

ERO is one of the Regional Organizations of the World Dental Federation, FDI, and therefore should support its activities.

This we intend to do also for the upcoming World Oral Health Day, WOHD, which is scheduled this year, for the first time, on March 20th.

The decision to change the date of WOHD derives from the fact that the original date for its celebration, September 12th, has been considered too close to the Annual World Dental Congress, AWDC, and therefore, logistically inconvenient for FDI to assist its members in organizing a successful WOHD. The new date, march 20th has been approved by a large majority and taken up positively by many stakeholders. A second date strategically placed in a calendar–year should give the opportunity to raise once more the awareness of oral health in the public on a global level and spread out a message from a united dental profession in addition to the one from the AWDC. Furthermore, seemed a date in early spring to be convenient as in most countries, ERO member-countries included, there are less dental events scheduled compared to the busy autumn period. As a matter of fact, the WOHD in mid September did not produce the expected results in the past years also in most of our member-countries.

ERO is convinced that a new chance for all of its dentists to be part of FDI’s global voice will result in a political, professional and social benefit and in a major awareness in the public that oral health is a fundamental element in delivery and maintenance of general health. A globally united dental profession has already received its recognition from WHOPresident Margaret Chan to be the pioneering profession in prevention in medicine”. The WOHD will once more contribute to better health of people through oral care and be an example for a dentist’s initiative of collaboration-oriented medicine worldwide.

ERO must be part of this initiative and all its members should endorse FDI in its endeavours to disseminate information on oral health in UN-defined Europe. Many member-countries are already on their way to organize the celebration of WOHD. I strongly believe that you do not want to miss on March 20th and that your support and contribution will make the difference in WOHD’s success.

I thank you in advance for your kind attention and all your efforts.

I wish you most of success in all your endeavours in 2013 and I greet you heartily
Sincerely yours
Dr Gerhard Konrad Seeberger