Development of the social environment necessary to promote dental and oral health

Abstract

The Basic Matters of the Dental and Oral Health Promotion Act (second phase), otherwise known as the “Dental and Oral Health Promotion Plan,” was launched in 2024. It was created in close conjunction with Health Japan 21 (third phase), which launched that same year. These initiatives have three common goals: (1) to reduce the number of people with periodontal disease, (2) to increase the number of people who have good chewing abilities, and (3) to increase the number of people who have regular dental check-ups. The Grand Design, which explains the framework of the Dental and Oral Health Promotion Plan, has a three-tiered structure, with the lowest tier being the development of the social environment necessary to promote dental and oral health. In this study, we focused on this to achieve the common goals of Health Japan 21 (third phrase). We also examined the importance of the organizational structure of local governments, which are the main stakeholders in dental and oral health projects, based on the results of the au- thor's health and labor research