The most common noncommunicable disease? It’s probably not what you think

Oral diseases include tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer, among others. They afflict nearly half the world’s population, some 3.5 billion people. That’s 1 billion more than cases of mental illness, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and all cancers - combined. While oral health programmes are comparatively cheap they’re often neglected by the global health agenda as governments fail to invest in dental facilities and workforces.