GENEVA: World Health Organization (WHO) has recently introduced a new segment for dental preparations during the 2021 survey of its Model List of Essential Medicines and Model List of Essential Medicines for Children.
WHO introduced the new section in the 22nd Essential Medicines List (EML) and the 8th Essential Medicines List for Children (EMLc).
The new dental section includes fluoride (previously under the section for vitamins and minerals as “sodium fluoride”) for its indication in dental caries and fluoride-containing and fluoride-releasing products, i.e., silver diamine fluoride and glass-ionomer cement. This expansion would be a key in increasing access to dental products. Moreover, it would also help to reduce the burden of dental caries globally.
WHO model lists of EML and EMLc have been using as a guide by more than 150 countries have helped identify those chemical agents, medicines, medical devices, and other medical products that everyone should always have access to. It also enabled all the governments to ensure that these products have been available and affordable to their people.
The new dental section would be an opportunity for governments to include fluoride, silver diamine fluoride and glass-ionomer cement to their national quintessential medicines lists.As reported by the 23rd WHO Expert Committee on the selection and use of essential medicines’ Executive Summary, a new section for dental preparations has been a critical development to tackle the burden of dental caries and oral health inequalities.
