The goal of Journal of Global Oral Health

It gives me immense pleasure to assume the office of the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global Oral Health (JGOH), the peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Dentistry International. The journal is unique in several aspects. The board of directors of this journal conceived this to be a journal that provides a platform to describe oral health as a part of general health. The JGOH aims to promote oral health as a part of systemic health, study and report the relationship between social determinants of oral health and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), promotion of oral health among marginalized communities, describing the specific unmet oral and dental health needs, focusing on oral health, Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Health Goals, dental Volunteerism and attempting to address social inequalities in oral health. Although the existing vast majority of dental and oral health journals have a place for such manuscripts, there is no specific journal platform that attempts to reconnect oral health to overall health.

The volume of literature on the emerging role of NCDs affecting oral health and vice versa is increasing.[1] To reverse the trend, dentists need to revisit their approach and aim more at prevention of dental, oral and systemic illness rather than concentrating purely on rehabilitation and esthetic concerns. There is no doubt that esthetics and rehabilitation are necessary. At the same time, dentists need to ponder over the next step because a significant percentage of humans do not have access to proper oral health care. This comes especially at a time when oral health care is not a part of any universal health coverage and over commercialization has plagued organized dentistry.[2,3]

The solution lies in the goals of our parent body – Academy of Dentistry International. Collective intelligence and collaborative efforts are needed to combat the menace of NCDs, perpetuated by human greed and rapid alteration of lifestyles. The very advancements in science that saved millions of humans are posing a health threat by being a direct or indirect cause for other disease processes. As respectable members of the healing profession, it becomes our sacred duty now to think and act beyond saving the tooth or beautifying it. We need to mobilize affirmative actions against raging diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, substance abuse, and many others.[2]

Globally, there are very few oral health policy-makers and even fewer of those who have the ability to transform pro public policies into putative actions. It is the aim of this journal to provide a scientific platform for all those involved in protecting oral health and interested in promoting general health. I sincerely believe that with the sincere support of the Board of the ADI, the journal will soon begin to champion the promotion of oral health as an integral part of systemic health to the benefit of humanity at large.