On March 20, Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark Oral Health Day.

Some organisations used the day to carry out several activities to promote oral health awareness.

This comes at the time the state of dental health especially among children is worrying, calling for concerted efforts should be taken to address the problem especially among children.

The efforts should largely focus on prevention rather than treatment because prevention is always cheaper and better.

A 2016 study by Global Burden of Disease revealed that oral diseases affected half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people) with dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth being the most prevalent condition assessed.

Severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, was estimated to be the 11th most prevalent disease globally.

In Rwanda, the first oral health survey, which was published in 2018 revealed that nearly two-thirds (64.9%) of the 2097 participants had caries experience and 54.3% had untreated caries.

Among adults 20 years of age and older, 32.4% had substantial oral debris and 60% had calculus.

Rwanda rolled out a strategic plan that seeks to ensure that every health centre gets a dental therapist and a surgeon.

However, dental surgeons are still few.

The University of Rwanda has so far produced over 500 dental therapists and 33 dental surgeons.

To ensure prevention and ease pressure on the health system, there is need for more sensitisation in homes, schools and communities in general.

Dental ailments can be avoided if someone practices basic oral hygiene like brushing teeth every after a meal and avoiding foods that are known to cause cavities.

Dentists believe that kids who consume too much soda and not enough nutritional beverages are prone to tooth decay in addition to serious ailments later in life, such as diabetes and osteoporosis.

Drinking carbonated soft drinks regularly can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel. There is also need to increase funding for dental health.