Health
Nigeria’s oral health is plagued by neglect, but there’s hope on the horizon.
By Christabel Ejenike
ORAL health is the overall health of the mouth regardless of age. According to the Fédération Dentaire Internationale, FDI, (World Dental Federation), oral health is multi faceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expression with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease of craniofacial complex (that is the head, face or oral cavity).
Available data, shows that Nigeria has a relatively low prevalence of oral health diseases when compared to her western counterparts, which could be attributed to the majority of affected Nigerians going untreated. This is largely due to poor awareness and also because many Nigerians do not have access to basic dental care services.
A recent study by the Nigeria Health Watch has highlighted a significant gap in data on Nigeria’s oral health. This lack of data is largely attributed to the low priority Nigerians place on their oral health, often perceiving it as non-life-threatening. However, available research paints a concerning picture.
Dental caries, or tooth decay, affect a significant 6-23% of Nigerians, with a staggering 90% of cases going untreated. Furthermore, gum diseases impact 15-58% of the population aged 15 and above. Alarmingly, many Nigerians lack access to basic dental care services, with only one in five citizens visiting a dentist in the past year.
However, another study by Prof Donna Umesi Ngozi, a professor of restorative and conservative dentistry, on oral hygiene practices among adolescents showed that 70.8% brushed their teeth at least once a day, 26.7% brushed twice daily and only 2.5% brushed only a few times a week, also the study showed that 96.3% used a toothbrush and paste, while the other 3.7% used chewing sticks, which is an improvement when compared to her last study.
This shows that despite lacking access to basic dental care services, Nigerians still take into account the importance of oral hygiene.
So, what can be done to improve the prioritisation of oral healthcare in Nigeria?
To combat poor oral healthcare in Nigeria, steps such as improving dental care awareness are crucial as many Nigerians regard the absence of pain as a sign of good health. Education campaigns can help change this mindset and encourage regular dental check-ups.
The research by Prof. Umesi took a look at dental cares trend over the years and recorded 76.2% caries free prevalence, which was better than the 49% recorded by Henshaw in 1974 and other researchers. However, it was lower than the prevalence of 83% recorded by a previous study by Umesi and Savage 2002 and 94.6% recorded by other studies. The research showed a trend towards increasing cares-free levels among Nigerian adolescents. Inline with the research, several health education and promotion visit to schools were undertaken which showed an impact that there is need for oral advocacy through oral health education, promotion and public enlightenment programmes to reduce the incidence and thus prevalence of dental caries.
Another area of focus is innovative oral health solutions. For instance, mobile dental clinics can reach remote areas, providing essential oral health services to underserved communities. Additionally, digital platforms can offer oral health education, consultation services and even remote monitoring for patients.
Also, collaboration and policy support are vital in addressing Nigeria’s oral health woes. Governments, healthcare organizations and private sector entities must work together to develop and implement effective oral health policies, increase funding for dental care infrastructure and promote innovative solutions.
By tackling these challenges head-on, Nigeria can make significant strides in improving its oral health landscape and providing better care for its citizens.
However, a new hope on the horizon has risen for restorative dentistry as Toregem Biopharma, a groundbreaking Japanese pharmaceutical startup, is poised to revolutionize dental care with a cutting-edge medication designed to regenerate new teeth.
According to reports, the novel treatment by Toregem Biopharma involves administering antibodies to neutralize a protein called USAG-1. This protein is thought to hinder the development of “tooth buds” into babies or permanent teeth. The treatment has shown promising results in initial experiments conducted on mice in 2018, successfully stimulating the growth of new teeth. Building on this success, the research team expanded their study to include ferrets, yielding additional insights into the treatment’s potential.
Although this development has not yet reached Nigeria and it is still in its trial stage, there is now a glimmer of hope for patients with lost teeth.
7th November, 2024.
C.E.
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