Mobile technologies for oral health: an implementation guide, released today, provides comprehensive instructions on how to complement existing oral health initiatives and oral health system responses through mobile technologies.

The new product is one of a set developed through the Be He@lthy Be Mobile programme run by the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union. Since the establishment of the programme in 2012, handbooks have been released on topics ranging from diabetes and cervical cancer to hypertension and dementia.

Until today, the Initiative focused on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases through dissemination of health messages to mobile phones.

The launch of this new handbook on oral health takes the Initiative several steps further.

As well as promoting oral health through text messages sent to the general public, it provides guidance on training for health workers, early detection of oral health conditions, the collection of epidemiological data, and the monitoring of the quality of patient care, all through mobile technologies.

The four modules of the handbook are designed as flexible components that can be implemented individually or collectively, according to a country’s specific needs.

OralHealth interventions established following the guidance in the handbook can be implemented as stand-alone activities or be integrated into existing noncommunicable disease programmes.