Health
A brush in time saves tooth: Nigeria’s Dental Healthcare Crisis looms
Nigeria is facing a growing dental healthcare crisis, with millions of citizens suffering from oral diseases that can have devastating consequences for their overall health and well-being.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, oral health is a state of being free of mouth and facial pain, oral infections and sores, and other diseases that limit an individual’s capacity.
A recent study by Nigeria Health Watch says that there is not much data when it comes to Nigeria’s oral health. This, according to the study, can be attributed to the lack of priority that Nigerians place on their oral health as most times, it is not life-threatening, or they can live with what comes with bad oral health.
However, irrespective of the lack of data on oral health in Nigeria research from available data shows that dental caries (tooth decay) affects about 6–23% of Nigerians with about 90% of these cases going untreated; while gum diseases affect 15–58% of the population, aged 15 years and above. The same study also revealed that many Nigerians lack access to basic dental care services, with only 1 in 5 citizens having visited a dentist in the past year.
A street survey by Business Hallmark (BH)found similar results as most people don’t visit the dentist unless the cases become severe and unbearable, some said dental visits are unnecessary while others blamed lack of funds as the reason for not having dental checks.
Also, Oral health services are mainly available in urban areas, and there is a need for sustainable strategies to develop national preventive and therapeutic oral health services.
Speaking to Onyemaechi Godwin, a trader who said that he has never visited the dentist and does not have a reason to since his teeth are okay. “I’ve never visited the dentist and I don’t see any reason to, isn’t the job of a dentist to extract people’s teeth?”
A street vendor Oluwafemi Funmilola, narrating her ordeal at the dental department in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH told BH, that she recently visited the dentist for a cavity she had but couldn’t go further with the filling because of the cost of the procedures involved. “I visited the dentist not very long ago at LUTH and just money for registration and a card stood at above six thousand Naira, I thought that was all until after the doctor finished checking my teeth and recommended that I should get an X-ray and directed me back to the reception where I have to pay another money, even when I asked what they will do and they were saying that the I’ll still pay for teeth cleaning before they start any other thing, I just left because I didn’t have enough money,” she said.
Similarly, a Youth Corper (name withheld) narrated her ordeal on how she left her cavity to get bad and even lead to cracked molars. “I’ve had these cavities for some time, and I didn’t visit the dentist because I was scared that the cost might be much, and I’m only seeing the dentist now because the NHIS covers most of the procedures that I need to do”
The consequences of neglecting dental health care in Nigeria are far-reaching and devastating. Poor oral health has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cognitive decline.
A study by Harvard Health proposed a theory that states that “the bacteria that infect the gums and cause gingivitis and periodontitis also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body where they cause blood vessel inflammation and damage; tiny blood clots, heart attack, and stroke may follow. Supporting this idea is finding remnants of oral bacteria within atherosclerotic blood vessels far from the mouth.”
So, what can be done to address this growing concern? Experts agree that prevention is key. Regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups can go a long way in preventing oral diseases. A street survey by Business Hallmark found that while most Nigerians maintain brushing at least once a day many do not floss or even know the concept of flossing. Aside from maintaining good oral hygiene, one must avoid the predisposing factors that can lead to poor oral health.
The risk factors for poor oral health WHO said are mainly Excessive use of sugar, Tobacco, and Alcohol.
The youth corp member revealed that the major cause of her poor oral health was not poor oral hygiene but sugar, “oral hygiene was not the cause of my caries, because I brush twice a day and on a good day three times, I noticed my cavities in secondary school, and I consumed a lot of sweets at the time, I used to finish a pack of candies in one sitting, and I chewed them too, then one day I felt a mild tingling pain on my left molar, and from there the cavity continued to expand, but I wasn’t painful so I left it.”
Additionally, the Nigerian government and healthcare systems must prioritize dental healthcare, increasing access to affordable and quality dental care services.
As individuals, there is a need to take responsibility for dental health. By making informed choices about their diet, lifestyle, and oral hygiene habits, risk of oral diseases and promote overall health and well-being.