Poor oral health awareness, lack of access to dental care facilities, and poor nutrition are just a few of the reasons why 70% of African children, or 7 out of 10 children, suffer from tooth decay, particularly in rural areas.
According to Dr. Adekemi Adeniyan,
an oral health expert who advocates for better dental care for African children
following the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the case.
Dr. Adeniyan said that while tooth
decay is preventable, brushing and flossing are still not a priority for some
families, particularly those who are struggling to make ends meet as a result
of the coronavirus outbreak's economic downturn.
In the
aftermath of COVID-19, the WHO revealed in a study that 90 percent of African
countries reported a complete or partial disruption of their oral health
services between February and July 2020, while more than 530 million children
worldwide suffer from dental cavities in their milk teeth.
Oral
diseases, according to the World Health Organization, contribute a significant
portion of the burden of non-communicable diseases and affect children's
physical and mental health.
Dr.
Adeniyan, a dental health expert, now wants the federal government to pay
attention to the need for teledentistry in Africa as a way to bring oral health
education to people in their homes via music, videos, TV shows, and SMS.
According to
her, a recent study in rural Africa revealed that many parents cannot afford
even toothbrushes for their children and that many young people have never
received dental care.
"Despite
the fact that this is a disease that is easily preventable, it affects a large
number of African children." "Our children are suffering from a
disease that is both silent and preventable," she said.
In an
exclusive interview with HEALTH LIFE KIT, Dr. Adeniya lamented the lack of an
effective oral health campaign for children in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
She
expressed concern that Africa as a continent was not doing enough to raise
awareness about oral health among children, noting that few schools and
communities have oral health education programs for children and those that do
only engage them once a year on World Oral Health Day.
"I
believe that if we meet African children where they are, the oral health
campaign for them can be better, less expensive, and more effective."
Starting with schools is a fantastic idea! "We are capable of more."
When asked
about the impact of ongoing public awareness campaigns on individual oral
health, Dr. Adeniya stated that such campaigns play a significant role in
changing people's perceptions of their mouths and the oral hygiene they
practice.
"Communities
that participate in oral health awareness and campaigns organized by
governments and organizations have had more positive outcomes in their oral
health status and improved oral hygiene," she said.
"My
team and I have an "oral health book read campaign" in schools to
encourage children to practice good oral hygiene. This campaign brings kids
together to read oral health stories and discuss what they've learned. One
school, in particular, stated that "the book's characters influenced
children's thinking about good oral health habits."
Dr. Adesiya,
on the other hand, is concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a great
deal of uncertainty in dental care in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
She
explained that the 2020 lockdown in Africa meant that dental clinics were
closed and community-based oral health programs were halted, resulting in an
increase in the burden of oral diseases among citizens.
"As
soon as dental clinics opened up, we saw an increase in the number of people
seeking treatment for tooth pain." The pandemic resulted in an increase in
mental health issues, which contributed to unhealthy eating habits and a
disregard for sanitary practices.
"Because
of the pandemic, many Africans lost their jobs, basic dental care for children
became unaffordable."
"Teledentistry
is the future of dentistry, and the pandemic has highlighted the need for oral
health education to be delivered to people in their homes."
She asked parents to emphasize the importance of good oral health to their children by modeling what they want them to see.
She insisted
that parents and guardians play a significant role in their children's behavior
and life choices, emphasizing that children learn more quickly through
observation.
"We as
parents must brush twice a day if we want our children to brush twice a day. We
must teach and demonstrate proper brushing techniques if we want them to use them.
If we want them to eat tooth-friendly meals, we must go to great lengths to
make them available. She emphasized that "good oral health for our
children begins with us."
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