Oral Health in Nigeria: Tools that will change the picture

Objectives: To enlighten oral health practitioners about preventive and curative strategies that meet the principles of Primary Health Care (PHC). Materials and methods: Review of the literature on oral health care approach situation in Nigeria and effective and appropriate oral health care approach from databases and journals. Results:oral health remains a luxury for most countries. This is true especially for the disadvantaged communities irrespective of whether they live in Established Market Economy (EME) or Non-EME countries. In Nigeria, these concepts have neither been achieved nor fully accomplished.Dental diseases are on the rise due to inaccessibility and nonavailability of oral health services and unequal distribution of oral health care. The situation calls for a change in approach to those that follow the principles of PHC. There is need to develop and implement tools that will change the present oral health situation in Nigeria. This tool called the “Basic Package for Oral Care (BPOC)” initiated by the WHO collaborating center for Oral Care Planning and Future Scenarios, Nijmegen, the Netherlands will certainly change the picture because it is sustainable and combines both preventive and therapeutic oral health care services. The BPOC is a fusion of concepts and approaches that is effective, acceptable, feasible and affordable for most disadvantaged communities. BPOC contains three main components: providing emergency care, introduce prevention of dental caries and gum disease through the use of affordable fluoride toothpaste and introduce prevention through ART sealants and restorative care through ART restorations. This package is currently undergoing review and should be complemented with oral health promotion and use of agents that can arrest caries progression (Silver diamide fluoride). Conclusion: BPOC is a tool that will change the picture of oral health care in Nigeria if implemented based on perceived needs of local population and on existing supporting environmental conditions