Priorities for research for oral health in the 21st Century – the approach of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme

The World Health Organization (WHO) “World Oral Health Report 2003” emphasized that despite great improvements in the oral health status of populations across the world, problems persist. As knowledge is a major vehicle for improving the health of the poor in particular, the WHO Oral Health Programme focuses on stimulating oral health esearch in the developed and developing world to reduce risk factors and the burden of oral disease, and to improve oral health ystems and the effectiveness of community oral health programmes.