DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

Oral health in Nigeria faces persistent challenges, including a high prevalence of untreated diseases, shortages in the dental workforce, and limited access to care. Priority conditions such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral cancers, noma, and orofacial anomalies contribute substantially to the national disease burden. While the recorded prevalence of caries is relatively low, most cases remain untreated, and periodontal disease remains widespread. Data on oral cancer and noma are insufficient due to weak surveillance systems.

The absence of recent national epidemiological data, with the last survey conducted over three decades ago, limits effective planning. Oral health services are concentrated in urban centres and private facilities, leaving rural populations underserved. Efforts to integrate oral health into primary health care, as outlined in the National Oral Health Policy, have been slow, with minimal funding and poor inclusion in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. Insurance coverage is low, and reliance on out-of-pocket expenditure is common.

To address these gaps, Nigeria should conduct a national oral health survey, expand integration into primary health care, develop a trained primary oral health workforce through community health workers, and strengthen policies for equitable access and financial protection, aligning with global universal health coverage strategies.