On World Oral Health Day on 20 March 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for action in the South-East Asia Region and among partners to promote oral health and reduce the burden of oral diseases. Oral diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases worldwide. In 2019, there were an estimated 3.5 billion cases of oral diseases and related conditions globally. Shockingly, between 1990 and 2019, the estimated case numbers increased by more than 1 billion – a 50% increase.