By *Leo Achembong Ndiangang
The average Cameroonian child is presently facing a challenge that past generations did not have. Dental caries is ravaging Cameroonian children, much as it did in the developed world prior to the emphasis on the use of fluoride and dental hygiene.
This situation has come about due to a number of factors. The increasing popularity of highly refined foods and the neglect of hygiene instruction in primary schools are two contributors. In general, fluoride toothpaste is not affordable or is probably not on the list of priorities for many Cameroonian families. Basic oral hygiene knowledge and awareness of its importance is lacking.
In addition, there is inadequate infrastructure in the few available dental clinics and a dearth of dental personnel in Cameroon. There are currently about 150 practicing dentists serving 19 million Cameroonians, 80 percent of whom are located in Yaounde and Douala, the two largest cities, where most dentists are in private practice, out of reach of the ordinary Cameroonian. The ordinary Cameroonian has no access to dental care because of the costs involved and the absence of dental providers in most parts of Cameroon.
Presently there is no dental school, no dental hygiene school, and no government or public health emphasis on oral health. There is also no reliable data on the prevalence of dental caries. Hopefully, stake holders involved with the proposed dental school at the University of Buea will engage in oral health research and start doing research to show the evidence of the enormity of dental diseases in Cameroon.
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