Dental experts advocate for preventive oral health measures

Dental experts and health officials are emphasizing the critical importance of preventive dentistry over treatment-oriented approaches to improve public health and quality of life.

Dentist Ragıp Üçekiz highlights that establishing healthy habits during childhood is foundational for lifelong oral health. He notes that milk teeth are essential for jaw development, speech, and nutrition, and that regular check-ups—at least twice a year—can prevent cavities and gum disease before they require extensive treatment.

Ersin Atinel, President of the Izmir Chamber of Dentists (İZDO), has called for higher quality standards in dental education and a shift in focus from the quantity of graduates to sustainable employment and quality of care. Citing World Health Organization data that oral diseases affect approximately 3.5 billion people globally, Atinel warned that oral health is inseparable from general health, sharing risk factors with chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.