WHO Collaborating Centre for Translation of Oral Health Science Japanese English
WHOCC Progress Annual Report 2025
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 2025, activities were conducted in alignment with the agreed Terms of Reference (ToR), 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. Developed a protocol for a systematic review on the effectiveness of interventions to maintain or improve oral function among community-dwelling older adults, to assess the applicability of oral health components within the WHO ICOPE approach.
  2. Conduct scientific seminars on oral health and healthy ageing for healthcare professionals and stakeholders in Thailand.
  3. Collaborate with the Ministry of Health in Indonesia to raise awareness of oral functional assessment through a series of educational seminars.
  4. Provide technical inputs to support policy-relevant and implementation-oriented research under the WHO-Kanagawa Partnership on NCDs and healthy ageing in the WHO Western Pacific Region.
  5. Conduct field studies in Japan and Thailand to strengthen the scientific evidence on the importance of maintaining good oral health for healthy ageing.
Outputs:
  1. Conducted scientific seminars on oral health and healthy ageing for healthcare professionals and stakeholders in Thailand, contributing to capacity building and knowledge dissemination.
  2. Supported increased awareness of oral functional assessment through educational seminars in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Indonesia.
  3. Provided technical inputs to policy-relevant and implementation-oriented research under the WHO-Kanagawa Partnership.
  4. Conducted field studies in Japan and Thailand to strengthen the scientific evidence on the importance of maintaining good oral health for healthy ageing.
Publication:
  1. Impacts of dental checkups on oral function among Japanese older adults, Sci Rep (2025)
  2. Association of Occlusal Support With All-Cause 10-Year Mortality in Healthy, Community-Dwelling, 80-Year-Old Adults, International Dental Journal (2025)
  3. Exploring the Association Between Periodontal Inflammation and Serum Aspartate Aminotransferase: Findings from a Longitudinal Study Among the Japanese Older Population, J Int Soc Prev Community Dent (2025)
  4. Association between oral health-related quality of life and physical frailty among community-dwelling older adults: A 2-year longitudinal study, J Frailty Aging (2025)
  5. Weight Loss and Number of Present Teeth in Community-Dwelling Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Niigata, J Oral Rehabil (2025)
  6. Psychosocial determinants of oral health related to COVID-19 infection in Myanmar older adults, Asia Pac J Public Health (2025)
  7. Oral Health for Healthy Life Expectancy: In Light of Global Trends in International Health. Jpn J Health Educ Promot. (2025)
Activity 2: Support for the Phase Down of Dental Amalgam under the Minamata Convention
Description:
The WHOCC has supported the following activities:
  1. Technically coordinate the project to strengthen oral disease prevention and control services using WHO Essential Dental Preparations for Ministries of Health and relevant stakeholders in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
  2. Conduct training for trainers on the use of alternative materials, including fluoride toothpaste, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), and glass ionomer cement (GIC), as well as waste management practices.
  3. Develop educational materials on the use of alternative materials and waste management practices for use in the training for trainers.
  4. Exchange information and resources on dental amalgam waste management with the WHO Collaborating Centre at the National Institute for Minamata Disease (JPN-49).
Outputs:
  1. In collaboration with WHO AFRO and the WHO Collaborating Centre at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS JPN-45), conducted training for trainers on the use of alternative materials and waste management practices in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia, supporting capacity building for oral disease prevention and control services in the African Region.
  2. Developed educational materials on the use of alternative materials and waste management practices for use in the training for trainers in African countries.
  3. Disseminated information on waste management related to dental amalgam use at the NIMD Forum.
Activity 3: Support for the Implementation of Strategic Objective 5 of the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023-2030
Description:
  1. Collected and updated epidemiological information on periodontal disease, including Community Periodontal Index (CPI) data, through the WHO Country/Area Profile Project.
  2. Advance technical support to strengthen oral health monitoring and surveillance systems in response to requests from WHO Member States.
  3. Collaborate with Malmö University to incorporate transferred dental caries data into the WHO Country/Area Profile Project and monitor dental caries prevalence.
  4. Collaborate with the Ministries of Health in Indonesia, Myanmar, and several African countries to support improvement of knowledge and skills among non-dental healthcare professionals in assessing oral health status.
Output:
  1. Established a publicly accessible periodontal disease information platform and updated epidemiological information on periodontal disease:
    https://www5.dent.niigata-u.ac.jp/~prevent/perio/contents.html
  2. Incorporated dental caries data transferred from Malmo University into the WHO Country/Area Profile Project and used the data for monitoring dental caries prevalence.
  3. Conducted training for non-dental healthcare professionals in Indonesia, Myanmar, and several African countries on oral health assessment, supporting improvement of their knowledge and skills.
  4. Contributed to strengthening the monitoring framework for the Global Oral Health Action Plan 2030.
Publication:
  1. A remote access qualitative study protocol to investigate the coping strategies in the mindset of the affected adults after the 2025 Myanmar earthquake, Tohoku J Exp Med (2025)
  2. Interactive Effects of COVID-19 infection and psychological factors on oral health-related quality of life in Myanmar, J Oral Rehabil (2025)
Other activities:
  1. Coordinated the webinar "Strengthening Oral Health Services in Africa" in collaboration with WHO AFRO and the WHO Collaborating Centre at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (JIHS, JPN-45).
  2. Participated in the regular meetings of WHO Oral Health Collaborating Centres convened by WHO Headquarters.
  3. Sent a delegate to the WHO WPRO Collaborating Centre Forum.
  4. Sent a delegate to the WHO ORH Collaborating Centre meeting held during the IADR Congress.
  5. Presented oral health promotion activities at the World Oral Health Day Commemoration Webinar coordinated by WHO WPRO.
  6. Sent a delegate to the 15th Asian Chief Dental Officers' Meeting (ACDOM) held in Indonesia.
WHO Collaborating Centre Networking
  1. Sent a delegate to the 15th Asian Chief Dental Officers' Meeting (ACDOM) held in Indonesia, in collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Centre at Mahidol University (THA-62).
  2. Provided scientific lecture resources on interprofessional collaboration at a special forum coordinated with the WHO Collaborating Centre at Gunma University (JPN-89).