by Oluwadayo Oluwadara MS, PhD, DDS, Grad Cert Oral Pathology for Oluwadara Dental Corporation - www.Oludent.org Did you know oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide? That's right, it's not just cavities and bad breath – oral health has a significant impact on our overall health, economy, and society. This article delves into the three tiers of the global oral health burden: 1️⃣Primary: The direct impact of the disease in your mouth. 2️⃣Secondary: How oral health affects your overall health (think heart disease, diabetes). 3️⃣Tertiary: The economic and social costs, including job loss and social isolation. The primary burden of oral diseases is the real impact of the pathology, either at the clinical, structural or molecular level. The secondary burden of oral diseases is on overall systemic health. The tertiary burden is the grave economic impact, the negative societal impact up to loss of life. The World Health Organization considers a worthwhile pursuit of