Oral health should be given priority

Nov 24, 2009

Dental diseases are the commonest diseases ever suffered by the human race. They are responsible for about 60% of the body’s total disability. The good news is that most dental problems are largely preventable, if we had a strong public health and preve

By Dr. Davis Ntulume

Dental diseases are the commonest diseases ever suffered by the human race. They are responsible for about 60% of the body’s total disability. The good news is that most dental problems are largely preventable, if we had a strong public health and preventive strategy.

The burden of dental disease in Uganda from a 2004-2005 study, revealed that 51% of the population had experienced a dental problem within six months prior to the study. The commonest cause of unnecessary tooth loss is tooth decay.

It was also found that preventive dental health programmes were being given little priority. It was alarming to find that of the people who reported a dental problem, less than 30% had sought treatment.

Tooth decay was found to contribute 93.1% to the disease burden, missing teeth 79.3%, dental decay in children 75.9% and bad breath 42.9%.

This trend has not changed much and this has been attributed to an increase in consumption of sugary foods in regular diet, use of counterfeit toothpaste, poor access to dental health information and failure to promote public health preventive dental practices by the various stakeholders.

The Ministry of Health receives an equivalent of about 9% of the GDP for financing its budget. Of this, less than 0.1% is allocated for dental health programmes. The human resource is just as wanting. There are only 200 dental surgeons in Uganda majority of who operate in urban centres.

The ratio of dental surgeon to patient stands at 1:150,000 and this is appalling. To make matters worse, the ministry does not have the ability to absorb all the doctors and as a result, many have abandoned the profession for greener pastures, hence leaving the population underserved. The other cadres like public health dental officers, dental lab technologists and dental equipment technicians have instead taken up the dental surgeons’ role to save the situation, but alas, they carryout many unprofessional procedures which sometimes claim people’s lives and wellbeing.

The Uganda Dental Association (UDA), is a registered non-governmental organisation that brings together all the qualified dental surgeons retired or practising in Uganda. The core objectives of the UDA is to promote advancement of dentistry through the exchange of ideas amongst dental surgeons, in Uganda and the world. The association ensures that the rights and privileges of the members are enjoyed by all and acts as a watchdog to regulate the dental profession in Uganda. The association also ensures that the expectations of the public are met.

Every year in November, the UDA fraternity marks the Dental Health Week with media campaigns, screening and treatment for dental diseases and dental health education through outreach to the underserved communities.

The dental health week is a time to reflect and renew efforts to put dental health at the forefront of public health. It is also a time to provide practical solutions to problems facing dental practitioners and patients in Uganda. This year in addition to the usual activities, the UDA with support from the World Health Organisation, is launching the National Oral Health Policy for Uganda at Imperial Royale Hotel on November 27.

The chief guest will be health minister, Stephen Mallinga.

The policy proposes strategies that, if adopted, will improve on oral health and make dental treatment affordable to more, if not all Ugandans. With the policy in place, we hope that no Ugandan will miss out on getting proper dental care.

We sincerely hope that with more help from all stakeholders including the Government, the UDA can champion the advancement of dental health for all Ugandans. For more information, visit the UDA website www.ugadent.org

The writer is a dental surgeon and also the secretary general, Uganda Dental Association

[-- Send a topical opinion with your picture to guestwriter@newvision.co.ug. We take 600 words only]

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});