KAMPALA – Dental experts have warned the public against counterfeit kinds of toothpaste that don’t have required levels of fluoride.
Dr. Nevis Musinguzi, the head of the dental section at Mengo Hospital says the use of such products with less fluoride poses a health risk because of possible microbiological contamination.
“We recommend our people to use kinds of toothpaste that have the required levels of Fluoride. Fluoride can greatly help dental health by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to caries. It also reduces the amount of acid produced by bacteria on your teeth,” she said.
Tooth decay among children
Experts are also concerned about the prevalence of cavities in baby teeth of children ages 2 to 5.
Dr. Ken Chapman Kigozi, a dental surgeon at Mengo Hospital said that tooth decay in young children’s baby teeth is on the rise, a worrying trend that signals the preschool crowd is eating too much sugar.
The concern is that very young children will be exposed to dental decay at a greater level throughout their lives.
“The ability to take care of teeth requires healthy behavior. Unfortunately, most parents are not reinforcing healthy lifestyles in children.”
Protecting young children’s teeth can be important to their health long-term, he says.
Dr. Chapman says that diet is at least part of the explanation for the rising cavity rates.
Mengo Hospital is one of the largest dental spaces in the country.
The hospital receives a monthly average of 1800 dental patients.
The World Health Organisation recommends a dentist-population ratio of 1 dentist per 7,500 people, yet in Uganda, the ratio is one dentist per 146,000 people according to the Uganda Dental Association.
Such lack of access to professional care means that oral health problems often go untreated.
Driven by the belief that everyone should have access to quality dental health advice and care, no matter where they are, Pepsodent, a leading oral care brand of Unilever launched a new global campaign now everyone can talk to a dentist, to mark World Oral Health Day 2023.
The campaign encourages people to take the first step to improve their oral health with a free dental consultation.
The theme for this year’s World Oral Health Day is’ “Be Proud of Your Mouth”.
As part of their ongoing commitment to give people access to dentists, in Uganda, Pepsodent is providing free dental check-ups at several clinics and dental camp outreaches in schools in the country this World Oral Health Day. By giving people the opportunity to visit a dentist, Pepsodent hopes to encourage everyone to take the first step to improve their oral health and talk to a dentist.
Joanita Menya, Managing Director at Unilever Uganda, says “As part of our brand’s ongoing mission to prevent oral disease for everyone, we want to help everyone access the quality dental advice and care they deserve, especially those who have never been to a dentist before. That’s why we have conducted these free dental consultation exercises, to give people access to professional oral healthcare. Our World Oral Health Day 2023 campaign, ‘Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist’ encourages people to take the first step to improve their oral health by going for their first dental visit, for free.”
Pepsodent has organized free dental check-ups at Mengo Hospital, IMC Kololo, Pan Dental Naguru, Pan Dental Buganda Road, UMC Bukoto, and Life Link Hospital in Ntinda. They have also conducted dental camps at St. Peters S.S Nsambya and St. Josephs Girls S.S.S Nsambya to create awareness for the importance of dental check-ups through their Now Every One Can #TalkToADentist campaign.
Dr. Musinguzi said over 100 people have accessed free dental consultations courtesy of Pepsodent.
“Millions of people have never been to the dentist, not even once. For this to change it’s essential that we help people take the first step to better oral health by providing them with easy access to professional advice. This dental consultation exercise will help to shift people’s habits and hopefully encourage them to have more regular check-ups to avoid costly procedures in the future.”
