Professor Marcenes said that adolescents with bad teeth can face long-term self-esteem issues.

He hopes African and Asian nations will see the health problems of the West and not follow their dietary example. He’s calling for an “urgent, organized, social response” to the widespread lack of oral health.

“We need a public health approach that deals with the causes of the disease, rather than deal with each disease independently because the most disabling disease share the same cause,” he said.

Marcenes is calling for a holistic approach that includes a healthier diet and the development of new and cheaper dental materials and treatments.