By Sola Ogundipe

Nigerian researchers have been charged to utilize their knowledge and expertise as powerful tools for positive social change to advocate for better oral health, particularly among children and other vulnerable populations.

Making the call during the 382nd inaugural lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU,  a Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, Prof Morenike Ukpong,  said that researchers have a responsibility to leverage their knowledge to create positive social change.

Ukpong who presented the lecture titled “Leaving Toothprints in the Sands of Time”, emphasized the need for education, especially for girls, as a key factor in improving oral health outcomes.

Calling for improved protocols to identify and support victims of abuse and trafficking within the dental care system, the researcher whose work highlights the connection between maternal education and children’s oral health, called for improved protocols to identify and support vulnerable populations within dental care, including victims of child abuse and trafficking.

She argued for a rights-centered approach to oral healthcare that considers both individual needs and broader public health concerns.

As part of her research, Ukpong noted that poor oral health and general health in adult life often starts with poor oral health in adolescence and urged for counseling sessions with adolescents with maladaptive behaviour, to reinforce positive lifestyles and address emerging risk behaviours.

Noting that the ramification of poor oral health extends far beyond dental issues, Ukpong warned that it increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and exacerbates the outcomes of stroke and cardiovascular diseases, and contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes.

“Recently, my team and I published an article shedding light on the concerning finding, on treated dental caries in the mouth of children may lead to adverse cognitive and neurodevelopmental outcomes with pathways suggesting significant implications for the young child. Consequently, the negative effect of poor oral health outcome might manifest much earlier in life than previously acknowledged, potentially impacting the children before they become adolescents.

“To address this issue comprehensively, we must prioritise early childhood health initiatives aimed at promoting growth and development. And by doing so, we can mitigate the impact of long-term sub-consequences of poor oral health, including preventing suboptimal brain development in young children.

“This underscores the urgent need for a holistic approach to oral health that encompasses not only dental care, but also the broader health initiatives targeting early childhood development, she noted.”

Further, Ukpong said that in Nigeria, advancing oral health necessitates a concerted effort across formal and informal fields.

“Currently, school-based oral health programmes faces limitations because only approximately 60 percent of primary school children that should be in school are in primary schools, while 40 percent of secondary school children that should be in school are in school, and only 18 percent of those that should be in tertiary institutions are there. Therefore, when you initiate projects that are school-based, we have very limited impact.

“To truly make a difference, we may have to devise innovative and contextual relevant approaches to reach individuals in both formal and informal settings, such as religious places.  It is assumed that these religious places have a lot more children and adolescents than we otherwise can find in schools, and  nd therefore, this begs for those in religious studies to actively engage with pediatric dentists to develop engagement models for children or on health using religious platforms.”

She said as an advocate for change, she was desirous for increased involvement of researchers from diverse fields into the realm of oral health.

“Within dentistry, there exists a vast landscape for scientific inquiries, administrative analysis, educational exploration, environmental examination, and legal scrutiny. We encourage researchers to direct their focus towards dentistry for innovative research ideas that have the potential to make significant contribution to the field and beyond,” she avowed.

According to Ukpong, dental health is much more beyond the Sustainable Development Goal 3.

“ I also dream of a legacy in pioneering the healthcare evidence on optimal strategy for integrating oral, mental, sexual and reproductive health through the lens of implementation science that my mentees and dears can continue to expound.

“It is imperative for all healthcare stakeholders at the community level to understand the intricate link between oral and general health and prioritize oral health as a gateway to overall health and wellbeing.

“Despite the existence of a national oral health policy that is 12 years old, Nigeria lacks a comprehensive national oral health programme.  While individual dentists, professionals, students, states and national dental associations have done commendably well in terms of pushing the frontiers of oral health into the community, the absence of a systemic tracking mechanism impedes our ability to gauge the progress.

“This discrepancy underscores the urgent need for collective action, both from dentists and non-dentists alike to advocate for the establishment of a national oral health programme, catering for the different aid groups across Nigeria.”