Andrew
Sunday Mail Reporter
A nationwide oral health survey to determine the prevalence of oral health conditions will be commissioned soon by Government, it has been learnt.
The survey, which will be conducted in May, is expected to ascertain the national burden of problematic oral conditions such as tooth decay (caries), gum diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis), oral cancer and injuries to the face or teeth.
Overall, it will help in developing the National Oral Health Strategy.
The last such survey was conducted 1994. Ideally, such surveys are commissioned after every 10 years.
Deputy director of oral health in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Hardwicke Matikiti said:
“The essence of the national oral health survey is to enable us to determine the prevalence of the common oral diseases such as tooth decay, gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis, oral cancer and injuries to the face/teeth.
“An example of regional issues is dental fluorosis in Nyanyadzi and Gokwe, which is different from caries and is expected to be common in all provinces.”
He said the survey will be disaggregated by age group, sex and location.
It will also look at how accessible oral health services are to the general population.
Thereafter, the country will work on a national oral health policy and strategy, aligned to the national health strategy 2021-2025.
Dr Matikiti added:
“The strategy is basically how we intend to tackle the oral health conditions in the population over time (reducing the burden).
“Oral health services are available in the public sector, but not at the desired levels.
“However, the Government has already taken the initiative to avail modern dental equipment nationally, initially covering all central hospitals and provincial hospitals.”
At least three selected district hospitals per province will also receive equipment.
It is also believed the survey will help validate information collected through health information centres and fine-tune implementation strategies.
Online Reporter