Oral Health Promotion in a Rural Nigerian Local Government Area

Objectives: To provide oral and dental care to disadvantaged and rural communities and, to develop a sustainable model for the provision of oral health services and care, at the local government level. Methods: A needs assessment was conducted in the Ife North Local Government Area (LGA). The ability, and preparedness of these communities to utilise oral health services was determined. Also the attitudes of dental students to rural community postings were investigated. Data was collected through questionnaire administration, interviews, and clinical oral examinations. Three sets of questionnaires were administered to; Primary Health Care (PHC) workers, Primary and Secondary school students, and Dental students. Results: The interviews revealed a favourable setup for sustainability of the project. No dental facility existed in the LGA. All the PHC workers rated Oral health as either “very important” or “Important”. Over 80% rated their oral health as either “Good” or “Fair”. About 75% have never been to a dental clinic or have dental treatment whereas 40% claimed to be having dental problem presently. Similarly, about 95% of the primary and secondary school respondents had never been to a dental hospital. Sixty percent of the children required oral care. These were mostly oral hygiene instructions, scaling and polishing, simple fillings, and extractions. Ninety-eight percent of the 50 clinical dental students supported rural community postings as part of their undergraduate training. Conclusion: The project provides a model for the provision of oral health promotion and care at the LGA level in Nigeria

Supported by the Carnegie Corporation, New York. (Grant B D 02085.R01).