By Victoria Ojeme

NIGERIAN medical experts have expressed concern over the growing prevalence of oral diseases, harping on the need for dental professionals to forestall rising cases of medical emergencies.

The experts who spoke on this year’s World Oral Day, with the theme: “Celebrating Healthy Smiles” called for development of sustainable strategies for national preventive and therapeutic oral health services in the country.

The National President, Nigeria Dental Association, NDA, Dr. Olojede Olurotimi, argued that the spate of increases in dental flaws, oral cancer and other oral health challenges in Nigeria could be tackled by a well developed preventive therapeutic oral health services.

Speaking in Abuja, Olurotimi noted: “Oral health is a neglected area of international health, because 90 percent of the world’s population will suffer from oral diseases in their lifetime and many of them can be avoided with increased governmental, health association and society support as well as funding for prevention, detection and treatment programmes.

He expressed hope that added focus will be drawn to the importance of the prevention of oral diseases through educational, community and promotional activities commemorating the World Oral Health Day.  Olurotimi lamented that periodontal diseases are the most common chronic dental disease worldwide, affecting children, adult and elderly and resulting in great impact on well being.

He charged dental practitioners to gather the needed skills to deal with dental medical emergencies, which he said had become the commonest disease in the world.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Alhassan Khali said introduction of the Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria, would ensure that diseases such as cancer would be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme.