Once a cavity is detected and diagnosis made, it is encouraged to have treatment done immediately; delaying treatment can result in further complications. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
As Uganda celebrates World Oral Health Day today, dental health specialists are pushing for increased government funding and heightened public education to confront serious gaps in oral healthcare.
According to details from the Uganda Dental Association (UDA), Uganda’s oral health statistics are alarming. About 32.5 percent of children and 66.7 percent of adults suffer from dental caries, while gum disease, oral cancers, and fluorosis (yellowing teeth) are also on the rise.
The commemoration, to be held today at Equator University in Masaka, caps off an energetic week of events and community outreach programmes organised by the UDA in communities. These efforts provided free dental services to numerous vulnerable individuals.
“We have seen over 5,000 people here in Masaka with a number of teeth issues,” Dr Davis Ntulume, a dentist and UDA treasurer working with Donau Dental Clinics, said.
He added: "The burden is high, and much as we have tried to treat where we can, we could not fully exhaust the oral health demand in this part of the country. We, as UDA, alongside other oral health stakeholders, need substantial support from the government to increase oral health awareness across the entire nation."
According to UDA, during the week, dental surgeons provided free checkups, extracted painful teeth, fitted dentures, and filled cavities, restoring smiles and confidence to those who had suffered in silence. In addition to these treatments, oral health education sessions tackled myths—like the notion of “tooth worms” causing decay—and taught preventive care, from proper brushing to balanced diets.
Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 3.5 billion people grapple with oral diseases, but in Uganda, access to care remains a challenge. Only 35 percent of people in low-income countries like Uganda can access dental services, and the numbers here are even lower, with many relying on ineffective traditional remedies like herbs.
This year’s commemoration, under the theme "A happy mouth, is a happy mind" aims to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.
How to prevent tooth decay
Dr Maria Goretti Nakyonyi, the UDA publicity secretary, observed: “The holes in teeth are on the increase of late in children because it all comes from how the parents handle the children. So most of us have not probably grown up knowing which food to eat, how to take care of our teeth.”
“And so, the little information we don't have, we don't have anything to try to extrapolate to our children. So, our children are getting exposed to a lot of confectionaries. Those are sweets, the cakes, the chocolates and the sodas. All those things are actually destroying the children's teeth,” she added.
The dentist further noted that some of the food choices are woven into culture, making it hard to change.
“Unfortunately, in our culture in Uganda, to appreciate a child, you have to give them sweets. And this sweet is probably like Shs500 if it's expensive,” she said.
“But in the long run, the cost of tooth decay is quite high because by the time the child makes, probably 18 years, they've lost a number of permanent teeth. So it's difficult to find a 30-year-old who actually still has the 32 permanent teeth that someone is supposed to have,” she added.
Policy, access gaps
According to UDA, Uganda’s national oral health policy, unchanged since 2007, is outdated, failing to address modern dental advancements. The Association also highlights funding hurdles. It states that despite nine percent of GDP allocated to healthcare, less than 0.1 percent trickles down to oral health, starving the sector of resources.
The shortage of dentists is perhaps the most glaring issue. The WHO recommends a dentist-to-patient ratio of 1:7,500, yet Uganda’s stands at a staggering 1:110,350. With just 416 practitioners for more than 46 million people, the workforce is stretched thin. According to UDA, a 2020 study found that 15 percent of Uganda’s 112 districts lack a public dental facility, leaving rural populations—who make up the majority—cut off from care.
This urban-rural divide compounds the crisis. Most dental facilities cluster in cities, forcing rural Ugandans to endure long journeys and high costs for treatment. Public awareness also lags behind, with tooth decay being labelled by some communities as hereditary or spiritual, discouraging professional care.
BACKGROUND
About the day World Oral Health Day, observed annually on March 20, is no random date. The “20” symbolises the 20 primary teeth children develop, while the “3” in “20/3” reflects the three pillars of oral health: 32 permanent teeth, gums, and the oral cavity. The commemoration was launched in 2007 by the World Dental Federation (FDI) to honour its founder, Dr Charles Gordon. The day shifted from September 12 to March 20 to highlight this numerical significance. In Uganda, the day has grown into a critical platform for addressing a neglected public health issue.
