Professor of Community Dentistry Folake Lawal has warned that Nigeria is grappling with a threefold crisis in oral health, driven by inadequate prevention, low awareness, and limited access to dental services.
Speaking at her inaugural lecture titled “From Schools to GLocal Communities: Impacting the Oral and General Health of Generations,” Lawal described the country’s oral health system as struggling with widespread, largely preventable diseases. She attributed this to insufficient knowledge, delayed care-seeking, and inadequate services.
“Tooth decay and gum disease affect millions of Nigerians across all age groups, with many seeking treatment only when conditions become severe,” Lawal said. She added that this pattern often leads to complications, including infections, tooth loss, and reduced quality of life.
Lawal highlighted that oral health problems extend beyond physical discomfort, affecting eating, speech, social interaction, and overall well-being. She cited poor hygiene awareness, weak preventive practices, and limited access to affordable dental care as the key drivers of the crisis.
Despite the availability of simple measures such as regular brushing, reduced sugar intake, and routine check-ups, adoption remains low, the professor noted. She called for urgent reforms, including increased investment in oral health, integration of dental services into primary healthcare, and sustained public awareness campaigns.
Lawal also advocated for school-based oral health programs and the training of teachers and primary healthcare workers to promote good hygiene at the community level. To address the shortage of dental professionals, she suggested alternative strategies such as peer education and the use of multilingual educational videos to reach underserved communities.
“Pre-recorded videos can complement specialists and ensure sustainable oral health promotion,” Lawal said, urging policymakers to prioritize dental services as essential for improving national health outcomes.