Demographic, Epidemiologic and Nutrition Transitions in Colombia: Implications for Oral Diseases and Dental Services

Socioeconomic, cultural, and political shifts are essential to achieve progress and growth. When countries develop, their populations undergo several changes. Some theories seek to explain changing trends that are occurring at the population level, such as the demographic, epidemiologic, and nutrition transition models. Colombia has undergone major transitions in terms of population demographics, disease patterns, and lifestyles. This country is at the late expanding stage of the demographic transition, the age of degenerative and man-made diseases of the epidemiologic transition, and the stage of degenerative diseases of the nutrition transition. These transition stages have an impact on population oral health as most of the common oral disorders have an association with age changes, chronic general diseases, and lifestyles. Therefore, dental services should be adapted and equipped to cope with the challenges posed by these transition stages.