WHO Collaborating Centre for Translation of Oral Health Science Japanese English
WHOCC Progress Annual Report 2023
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Translation of Oral Health Science
Institution Name
Department of Oral health Science, Division of Preventive Dentistry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
City and Country
Niigata, Japan
Country ID
JPN-75
Overview
The Centre operates under designation by the World Health Organization (WHO). It supports the implementation of the WHO's global strategies through evidence generation and technical assistance in the field of oral health.
In 2023, activities were conducted in alignment with the agreed Terms of Reference (TOL), the WHO Global Oral Health Strategy, and the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023-2030.
Activity 1: Technical Support for Healthy Ageing Based on the Life-Course Approach
Description:
The WHOCC conducted the following activities:
  1. Participated as an expert member in the WHO Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing (CCHA) and provided scientific input for the integration of oral health into the WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework.
  2. Selected scientific evidence for drafting PICO questions for the WHO scoping review aimed at developing guidelines on oral health for healthy ageing.
  3. Conducted an online questionnaire survey, in collaboration with the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO), to investigate oral functional status among older populations in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
  4. Continued epidemiological cohort studies targeting older populations to strengthen scientific evidence on the integration of oral health and general health.
Outputs:
  1. Developed oral health contextual inputs for the ICOPE pilot implementation in Cambodia in collaboration with WHO WPRO.
  2. Submitted a report on oral functional status among ageing populations in selected Asian countries to WHO WPRO.
  3. Coordinated an academic workshop to raise awareness of oral functional assessment in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Thailand, the Public Health Society of Thailand, and the WHO Collaborating Centre at Mahidol University.
  4. Published scientific papers related to oral health and healthy ageing.
Publication:
  1. Associations between Plasma Antibody Levels against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Atrial Fibrillation among Community-Dwelling Older Individuals in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Oral Health Prev Dent (2023)
  2. Oral health and nutritional intake in community-dwelling 90-year-old Japanese people: a cross-sectional study, Gerodontology (2023)
Activity 2: Support for the Phase Down of Dental Amalgam under the Minamata Convention
Description:
The WHOCC has supported the following activities:
  1. Provided technical inputs for national situation assessments in Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay.
  2. Conducted information searches on waste management related to dental amalgam use and infection control measures to minimize amalgam exposure in dental settings.
  3. Promoted the use of alternative restorative materials, including glass-ionomer cement and fluoride-based approaches.
Outputs:
Preparatory technical resources are being compiled to support policy improvement and capacity building for the phase down of dental amalgam use.
Activity 3
Description:
The WHOCC has supported the following activities:
  1. Collected and organized epidemiological data on periodontal diseases, including Community Periodontal Index (CPI) indicators.
  2. Provided technical assistance in epidemiological assessment and oral health surveillance upon request from WHO Member States.
  3. Explored partnerships to strengthen monitoring and surveillance systems for oral health and disease information.
Outputs:
  1. Established and updated a publicly accessible periodontal disease information platform: https://www5.dent.niigata-u.ac.jp/~prevent/perio/contents.html
  2. Contributed to strengthening the monitoring framework for the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2030.
Other activities:
  1. Participation in the WHO Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing (CCHA).
  2. Co-organization of the 13th Asian Chief Dental Officers' Meeting (ACDOM).