UNN Dean Urges FG To Prioritise Oral Care

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Prof. Linda Okoye has called on the federal government to prioritise oral health as an integral part of national development.

Okeye gave the call yesterday, while delivering the 236th inaugural lecture of the University of Nigeria titled “Beyond The Smile: The Myth, The Truth and the Control of Tooth Decay.

In her presentation, the professor of Restorative Dentistry, regretted that only a paltry 0.5% of the overall health sector budget of N2.48 trillion was allocated to oral health.

She said that the government must henceforth consider including basic preventive and restorative services in the National Health Insurance Scheme and also subsidising services for vulnerable populations, particularly children and the elderly.

Okoye also urged the government to explore water or salt fluoridation through pilot programs, mandate school-based oral health programs in all primary schools and regulate marketing of cariogenic products to children with restrictions similar to those applied to tobacco and alcohol.

“The government must mandate clear sugar content labeling on all packaged foods and beverages,” she said. “Strengthening the health system for oral health delivery also demands increasing training capacity for dental professionals, developing a mid-level oral health worker cadre through dental therapy programs to address the critical workforce shortage, ensuring availability of essential preventive supplies,”.

She added that every Nigerian also has a role to play in improving oral health outcomes by brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, limiting sugar intake, especially sugar-sweetened beverages and reducing eating occasions to three to four times daily and seeking preventive dental care regularly.