The Dean of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Oyinkansola Sofola, has cautioned Nigerians on mouth hygiene.
Sofola stated this during the 13th Faculty Conference and third Alumni Guest Lecture held at the college.
She said, “Because a lot of dental diseases are not life-threatening at the initial stage, a lot of people would stay until they have very bad pain before coming for treatment. Lately, lots of bacteria that cause diseases in the mouth have been found in other parts of the body. We need to sensitise Nigerians on the fact that unclean mouth goes beyond the smelling of the mouth and it has a lot to do with several diseases in the body.
“It has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, premature delivery of babies. What are in the mouth are bacteria and the mouth connects to other parts of the body. So, taking care of the tooth is not all about the mouth but also preventing serious diseases. If you come for dental checkups, the dentist diagnose it earlier and you can get a cheaper treatment and it is safer.”
The Principal Dentist, Schubbs Dental Clinics, Dr Bode Karunwi, urged the government to make policies that would improve the industry.
He said, “Government needs to make policies that will enhance progress in that industry. If the government makes health insurance compulsory and implements it, it simply means that it is going to be a boom for dentists. The government must create a dental clinic in every local government areas; that will generate employment for over 800 dentists. The academia must be well funded because they are the ones that feed the industry. So, everybody must come together and work together. The industry stands on the government, academia, and private practice.”
