National Child Health Policy: Expert Criticises Lack Of Oral Health

Given that oral health was a fundamental element to good health, a paediatrician, Professor Ebun Adejuyigbe, has criticised the non- inclusion of oral health into the Federal Government’s National Child Health policy.

Professor Adejuyigbe, a consultant pediatrician, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, in a lecture at the 2010 annual scientific conference of the Nigerian Association of Paediatric Dentistry, in Ibadan, stated that nigeria’s current National child policy was defective in addressing oral health needs of children, especially at the community level.

Professor Adejuyigbe said poor oral health had a significant impact on quality of life, causes pain and embarrassment, limits functions and costly to treat.

While pointing out that the mouth reflects the general health and well, being of individuals, she said people’s state of oral health was linked to conditions such as poverty, diet, use of alcohol and cigarette as well as age and gender.

According to her, “a common oral health problem in children is tooth decay or caries. The three potential causes are increased sugar intake, low fluoride use and poverty.  A synergy between these critical factors impact on possibility of a child developing caries just as other factors such as access to oral health  determines the severity and successful management  of caries.”

Professor Joseph Adenubi, a consultant paediatric dentist, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, noting that dental care for children had seldom been the result of deliberate efforts by dentists, challenged NAPD members not to relent in making dental care of children grow.

Earlier, NAPD’s President, Dr. Obafunke Denloye, said the association was striving to achieve the highest level of oral health care for children so that they could live a meaningful quality life as they approach adulthood.

Dr. Denloye declared that this formed the basis of the association organising a free dental checkup for children during the two-day conference to improve awareness and reduce the symptomatic visits of children to dental clinics.