Breaking silos in oral health: empowering all healthcare professionals

A webinar spotlighting FDI’s Educational Module for Other Healthcare Professionals project, designed to equip non-oral health professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to support better oral health outcomes in their communities. Through collaboration with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the project also extends its reach into pharmacy education and beyond, ensuring that oral health messages are embedded across a wide range of healthcare disciplines.

Oral health care should not be limited to dentists and dental teams. There is growing recognition that pharmacists, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, paediatricians, gynaecologists, and other healthcare professionals who regularly interact with patients are ideally positioned to deliver oral health messages, conduct basic screenings, and make timely referrals. Their involvement is critical to preventing oral diseases and supporting overall health.

This session will highlight the rationale for developing practical oral health resources for non-oral health professionals and underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Speakers will explore the connections between oral and systemic diseases, oral health during pregnancy, periodontal disease, and the specific needs of children and older adults, while also drawing attention to the global burden of oral disease and the need to integrate oral health across healthcare practice.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the purpose and scope of FDI’s Educational Module for Other Healthcare Professionals project.
• Learn how FDI and FIP are working together to expand oral health education through fact sheets and videos.
• Identify ways non-oral healthcare professionals can integrate oral health promotion into daily practice.
• Recognize the links between oral health, systemic disease, and specific patient populations (e.g., pregnant women, children, older adults).
• Explore strategies to strengthen collaboration between oral health teams and other healthcare providers.