• Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or dental cavities, is the world's most common untreated health condition, the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Report says.
• KDA has partnered with Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme to offer free oral healthcare to Kenya communities, raise awareness of good oral health practices.
Image: HANDOUT
Kenyans have more disposable income than they did 20 years ago, but the state of their teeth has only worsened, dentists say.
The rise in cases of tooth decay is linked to increased unhealthy eating and snacking habits.
Kenya Dental Association (KDA) secretary general Douglas Oramis said feeding and snacking habits have evolved due to factors such as higher disposable incomes, tighter work routines and cultural changes that have come with urbaniSation and globalisation.
“People are feeding and snacking more frequently and often on the go,” he told The Star.
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or dental cavities, is the most common untreated health condition in the world, he said.
The Kenya National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2022-2026 also says periodontitis, a serious infection of the gums caused by the accumulation of bacteria on teeth and gums, due to poor brushing or no brushing at all, affects 90 per cent of Kenyans.
KDA has partnered with Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme to offer free oral healthcare to communities in Kenya and raise awareness about good oral health practices.
KDAs’s dentists and medical team screened patients, performed minor oral surgeries, and distributed medicine, as the globe observed the World Oral Health Day, observed annually on March 20.
“We reached a total of 917 patients in the islands of Lamu, Faza and Mpeketoni,” Oramis said.
The Wrigley’s outreach programme with KDA builds on the success of a similar programme in 2022 which reached 537 patients in Lamu.
The island is one of the regions affected by poor oral health behaviours due to socioeconomic factors, making interventions in 2022 and 2023 by KDA and partners such as Mars Wrigley timely and effective to the local community.
“We continue to support oral health in Kenya and globally through our programme, partnering with dental professionals to drive positive societal impact and raise awareness about oral health benefits of, for instance, chewing sugar-free gum.
"We thank our partners at KDA for working with us on this important initiative,” Ismael Bello, general manager Sub-Saharan Africa, Mars Wrigley.
To improve oral health, dentists recommend brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride-based toothpaste to keep tooth decay at bay.
Chewing sugar-free gum also helps prevent tooth decay.
“Few realise there’s extensive good science backing up the benefits of chewing sugar-free gum. If you feed regularly, chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after snacks and meals can help protect teeth,” Oramis said.
Poor oral health behaviours are also partly blamed for the high prevalence of oral diseases, such as tooth decay.
Most people seek treatment for oral diseases when complications arise or worsen, instead of seeing a dentist regularly as recommended by health experts.
According to KDA, early detection of oral health issues can help reduce the risk of serious complications in future.
If left untreated, oral diseases can have further consequences on general health.
“Good oral health not only enables you to functionally as a human being, speaking, smiling, smelling, eating, but is also important for communication and human relationships,” Oramis said.
While paying for dental visits out of pocket can strain household budgets, discussing health insurance options with one’s employer or insurance provider has proved to be helpful.
The Kenya National Oral Health Strategic Plan also notes a high unmet treatment need among adults and children.
Only a small proportion of Kenyans seek dental treatment, the majority doing so only when there is pain or discomfort.
“The poor oral health seeking behaviour was attributed to lack of awareness, financial constraints, low access due to distance to health facilities, while a small number regarded it as unimportant,” the plan says.
It was developed by MoH and the World Health Organization.
The WHO said around 70 per cent of sub-Saharan African countries spent less than $1 (Sh130.5) per person per year on treatment costs for oral health care in 2019, the latest year for which data is available.
Half of the countries in the region do not have oral health policy documents.
(Edited by V. Graham)