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Context: A survey was conducted in line with the World Dental Federation's (FDI) vision for comprehensive, evidence-based oral healthcare by 2030. The study aims to collect standardised national data on the population's oral health needs, care-seeking behaviours, and oral health-related quality of life., Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional survey included dentists from urban and rural India and the patients visiting their facilities. The data were collected using the digital application developed by the FDI as a part of the Oral Health Observatory (OHO) project between December 2018 and April 2020 among patients seeking care at private oral healthcare practices. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to analyse the study data using SPSS software., Results: Data of 1049 patients (61.01% males, 38.98% females, mean age 38.6 ± 12.1 years) were collected using the OHO app on their oral health-seeking behaviour and habits. Over 80% of the patients had periodontal disease. About 51.5% visited a dentist in the past year, with common barriers being the belief that there was nothing wrong with their teeth and the time constraints. High rates of daily sugar consumption (67%) and tobacco use (35%) were noted. Most dentists focused on curative over preventive care., Conclusions: This survey provides essential data on India's oral health and forms an important first step in the quest of achieving universal health coverage for oral health by facilitating advocacy and aligning with FDI Vision 2030., (Copyright © 2025 Indian Journal of Dental Research.)

In recent years, global commitments have endeavored to reduce the burden of oral diseases. To maintain this momentum, effective advocacy for sustainable oral health is needed to raise public awareness, garner support, and guide policy makers. However, there has been limited use of evidence-based frameworks and approaches to design and measure the impact of oral health advocacy efforts. The 2nd Global Oral Health Forum (GOHF II) was hosted in April 2024 over a 2-day period to reflect on and discuss effective advocacy approaches and strategies for sustainable oral health. Four thematic sessions were organized around advocacy including health policies, health economics, patients, and planetary health. Each session featured eminent transdisciplinary speakers followed by group discussions centered around ideas, experiences, and perspectives from forum participants. The outcome of the forum was a compilation of ten actionable recommendations for moving forward with effective advocacy in oral health. These recommendations are envisioned to help build and strengthen coalitions of like-minded stakeholders in and outside the oral health community to advocate for policies that support sustainable oral health and equitable access to oral health care., Competing Interests: Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: M.G. is an editorial board member of BMC Global and Public Health. The remaining authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)