Oral health challenges

Oral Health Challenges in India, the Netherlands & the USA

Evidence-based regional data on oral health prevalence and communication barriers in India, the Netherlands and the USA — with sources. This is the public health problem PCC Training’s patient communication materials are built to address.

Oral disease is the most prevalent non-communicable disease globally, affecting an estimated 3.5 billion people worldwide (WHO, 2022). Yet the majority of oral health conditions are preventable through effective patient communication and education. PCC Training develops evidence-based, multilingual patient communication materials — brochures, animations, videos and instruction sheets — tailored to the specific oral health challenges in each region. Below is the data that shapes our content.

Oral disease is the most prevalent non-communicable disease globally, affecting an estimated 3.5 billion people worldwide (WHO, 2022). Yet the majority of oral health conditions are preventable through effective patient communication and education. PCC Training develops evidence-based, multilingual patient education materials — brochures, animations, videos and instruction sheets — tailored to the specific oral health challenges in each region. Below is the data that shapes our content.

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Data sources used on this page: WHO Global Oral Health Status Report 2022 · GBD 2019 Oral Disorders Collaborators, Journal of Dental Research 2021 · NIDCR National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) · RIVM Volksgezondheid Kompas 2023 · ICMR & NFHS-5 India 2019–21. Some figures shown are prevalence estimates — exact values may vary by sub-population. WHO report →
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India

~1.4 billion population · Significant rural–urban access divide · Language diversity

Prevalence of key conditions

Untreated dental caries (adults)~63%
Tobacco-related oral disease~35%
Periodontal disease (adults >30)~50%
Child caries (5–12 yrs)~50–60%
Source: GBD 2019; ICMR Oral Health Survey

Key barriers to oral health

  • Low awareness of preventive care among rural populations
  • Widespread use of tobacco products (gutka, pan masala)
  • Limited access to dental care in rural areas (1 dentist per ~10,000 people in some states)
  • Patient communication in 20+ languages and scripts
Our India patient education materials focus on preventive habits, tobacco education, and visual-first formats available in Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi.
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Netherlands

High dental access · Insurance coverage gap · Treatment compliance challenge

Prevalence of key conditions

Adults with caries experience~84%
Periodontal disease (adults)~44%
Children with caries (12 yrs)~30%
Treatment non-compliance rate~38%
Source: RIVM Volksgezondheid Kompas 2023; TNO Mondzorg

Key barriers to oral health

  • Dental care not covered by basic insurance for adults — a cost barrier for lower-income groups
  • High sugar consumption, particularly among children
  • Post-treatment instructions often not followed due to low health literacy
  • Communication gap with non-Dutch-speaking migrant communities
Our Dutch-language patient communication materials target parent education, school programs, and follow-up for treatment adherence — with Arabic and Turkish versions in development.
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United States

Major access inequality · Health literacy gap · Largest dental market globally

Prevalence of key conditions

Untreated adult decay (20–64)~26%
Adults with gum disease~47%
Adults who avoided care due to cost~34%
Children with untreated caries~13%
Source: NHANES 2017–2020; CDC Oral Health Surveillance Report 2022; NIDCR

Key barriers to oral health

  • Dental coverage absent from Medicare; millions uninsured for oral care
  • Significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in decay and treatment rates
  • Low health literacy — 36% of US adults have basic or below-basic literacy
  • Spanish-speaking communities underserved by English-only materials
Our US patient education materials use visual-first, plain-language formats in English and Spanish, calibrated for low-literacy readers per CDC Clear Communication standards.
Our response

How PCC Training addresses these challenges

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Localised content

Every material is culturally adapted — not just translated — to speak to the specific health context, literacy level, and communication norms of each region.

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Visual-first design

Infographics, animations, and illustrated instructions work for patients regardless of literacy level — critical in India and underserved US communities.

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Mobile delivery

WhatsApp-based follow-up reaches patients in countries where smartphone penetration is high but desktop access is low — especially India.