CDE: [COP28 Satellite Program] Oral Health and Climate Action: How Can We Prepare and Engage?

Live Webinar

NOTE: The online classroom for Continuing Dental Education has migrated to a new platform (https://cde.dental.upenn.edu). If you have not already registered, you will be required to register as a new user via PennPath in order to register for this lecture. How to get started »
For alumni, faculty, students and staff who have a PennKey account, you will still need to create a PennPath account.

************

Time: 8:00 am-11:00 am ET
Registration: FREE; Registration is still required.
CE Credits: 3.0 lecture credits

Climate change presents a fundamental threat to human and oral health. It affects the physical environment where people are ‘born, grow, live work and age’ and the ecosystems on which communities depend for their health, wellbeing, livelihoods, and survival.

Climate-sensitive health risks are disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, including women, children, ethnic minorities, poor communities, migrants or displaced persons, older populations, and those with underlying health conditions. Oral health professionals have an important role to play in addressing social determinants of health and lifelong learning due to climate change. For example high heat and humidity may prevent school children from enjoying outdoor sports and force them to spend more time indoors with the inherent risks of increased use of social media and unhealthy diet and hydration choices.

The WHO Global Oral Health Strategy and Action Plan provides a comprehensive foundation for improved governance and coordinated action for oral health and climate action through multisectoral collaboration at global, national, and local levels.

The Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023 – 2030 grounds oral health in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and sets out actions for sustainable oral healthcare through a shift to less invasive and environmentally friendly dentistry. Experiences from COVID pandemic reinforce the need to develop agile responses to unforeseen emergencies. WHO Essential Medicines – glass ionomer cement and silver diamine fluoride – might become the cornerstone of dental practice providing evidence based options for caries management across the lifecourse and a core pillar in disaster preparedness and response.

Oral health professionals must engage in the transformative agenda for humanity and the planet and actively participate in efforts to develop a climate ready health workforce.

Educational Objectives

• Understand the importance of grounding oral health in the UN 2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development to enable oral health professionals contribute to climate action at global, national and local levels;
• How to use WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan, its 6 strategic objectives and action points to guide and inform community outreach; 
• Recognize the utility of WHO Essential Medicines glass ionomer cement and silver diamine fluoride for caries management across the lifecourse and as a core pillar in disaster preparedness and response; 
• Understand the relationship between climate change, the social determinants of health and lifelong learning and the risk factors for noncommunicable diseases.