Dental check-up: Oral health at work
Advancing Oral Health at Work
In this episode of The Dental Check-Up Podcast, Professor Manu Mathur, Dr. Maria Ryan and Dr. Romila Gobin-Beharee discuss the growing importance of oral health in the workplace and why employers, policymakers, governments and public health stakeholders all have a role to play in advancing oral health through prevention, health promotion and better access to care.
Work occupies approximately one-third of adult life, and nearly 60% of the world's working-age population is in employment, making the workplace a valuable and often underused setting for improving oral health outcomes. Drawing on the findings of FDI’s report on Oral Health at Work, the discussion explores how workplace oral health initiatives can improve wellbeing, support productivity and help reduce oral health inequalities.
Through examples from different settings, the episode examines practical approaches to implementing workplace oral health programmes, strategies for building employer engagement, and the importance of measuring impact and generating evidence to support long-term investment in workplace oral health.
Learning Objectives
- Describe why the workplace is an important setting for oral health promotion and identify opportunities to improve oral health through workplace-based initiatives.
- Discuss the key findings from FDI's report on Oral Health at Work and how the evidence-based framework can support the development and implementation of workplace oral health programmes.
- Explain how governments, employers and other stakeholders can collaborate to support workplace oral health programmes and evaluate their impact over time.
About this episode’s guests
Prof. Manu Mathur
Prof. Manu Mathur is Chair of FDI’s Vision 2030 Implementation and Monitoring Expert Group, Professor and Head of Dental Public Health and Primary Care at Queen Mary University of London, and Head of Health Policy and Additional Professor at Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).
A dental surgeon and public health expert, his areas of expertise include advanced epidemiologic methods, health policy, health systems research and health promotion. He is a recipient of the prestigious Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholarship and Wellcome Trust doctoral scholarship and mid-career fellowship.
Dr. Maria Ryan
Dr. Maria Ryan is the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at the Colgate-Palmolive Company where she provides oversight and leadership to dental and dermal clinical organizations, knowledge management, scientific communications and the biosolutions team. She also represents FDI’s Vision 2030 Industry Action Group, which supported the development of the Oral Health at Work report.
Previously, Dr. Ryan served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at Stony Brook University and as President of the American Association for Dental Research. An internationally recognized speaker, author and clinician-scientist, she has received numerous honours, including NIH National Research Service Awards and a Physician Scientist Award.
Dr. Romila Gobin-Beharee
Dr. Romila Gobin-Beharee currently serves as Oral Health Coordinator at the Ministry of Health & Wellness in Mauritius, leading national initiatives in oral health promotion, disease prevention, and control. Dr. Gobin-Beharee plays a key role in shaping oral health policies and implementing the National Action Plan for Oral Health in Mauritius 2022–2027 while collaborating closely with national and international partners, including the World Health Organization, to address oral health challenges.
Her professional experience spans clinical practice, lecturing, community health program facilitation and is committed to capacity building, policy advocacy, and promoting preventive oral healthcare, particularly among vulnerable populations. Her leadership includes organizing training programs, leading sensitization campaigns, and conducting screenings for various oral health conditions.