Oral health and AMR: New guidelines on minimally invasive care and appropriate antibiotic use for oral health

Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases in the Western Pacific Region, affecting an estimated 960 million people and disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. Despite being largely preventable, access to essential oral health services remains limited.

At the same time, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health challenges. The oral health sector accounts for a significant share of antibiotic use in human health, much of which is unnecessary or inappropriate. Strengthening prevention-focused, minimally invasive oral health care and promoting appropriate antibiotic use are therefore essential to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and mitigate AMR. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a guideline on environmentally friendly and less invasive oral health care for preventing and managing dental caries. WHO has also published the AWaRe Antibiotic Book, which includes a dedicated section for oral and dental infections. 

Together, these WHO resources promote prevention and minimally invasive oral health care. By preventing and managing dental caries early, countries can reduce the burden of oral diseases and the need for unnecessary antibiotic use, contributing to antimicrobial stewardship and efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. 

The WHO webinar on oral health and AMR: New guidelines on minimally invasive care and appropriate antibiotic use was successfully convened on 22 July 2026. A total of 430 participants from 51 countries and areas, including 41 participants from Pacific island countries and areas, joined the webinar.

Agenda

Opening remarks

• Dr Huong Tran, Director, Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control (DPC), WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific 

Session 1: WHO guidelines on environmentally friendly and minimally invasive oral health care

• Dr Yuriko Harada, Technical Officer, Noncommunicable Disease Unit, DPC, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific
• Dr Rochelle E. Pambid, Dentist IV, Department of Health, Philippines
• Dr Jone Turagaluvu, Head of Oral Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji

Session 2: WHO AWaRe Antibiotic Book and antimicrobial stewardship in oral health

• Associate Professor Leanne Teoh, Associate Professor of Dental Therapeutics, Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Australia
• Professor Kouji Ohta, Department of Public Oral Health, Hiroshima University, Japan 
• Dr Ina Yulvina Rahmi, Dental, Oral and Sensory Health Work Team, Ministry of Health, Indonesia

Q&A

Closing remarks

• Dr Genevieve Howse, Acting Director, Division of Health Systems and Services (DHS), WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific

Moderators

• Dr Rolando Enrique Domingo, Coordinator, Noncommunicable Disease Unit, DPC, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific
• Dr Takeshi Nishijima, Technical Officer for AMR, Essential Medicines and Health Technologies Unit, DHS, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific