No fewer than 3.7 billion people across the world are suffering from oral health diseases. A Professor of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Ondo State, Adolphous Loto, revealed this on Thursday while delivering the 11th inaugural lecture of the university.
Prof. Loto, speaking on the lecture entitled “Restoring health to dentally afflicted patients: The roles of a Restorative Dentist as a jack of all trades and master of all”, described a restorative dentist as a “multidimensional professional who stands as a bio-engineer at the sacred intersection or convergence of biology, materials science, technology and compassion, crafting health and hope out of afflictions.”
He said, “the restorative dentist wears many caps as a diagnostician, periodontist, endodontist, educator, technologist, craftsman, artist, scientist, humanitarian and healer.”
Loto further disclosed that about 2.5 billion people have dental caries (tooth decay involving permanent teeth), which is the single most common health condition globally.
He added that severe periodontal (gum) disease affects about 1 to 1.1 billion people, while complete tooth loss is also widespread, especially among older adults, and 514 million children suffer from dental caries in their primary (baby) teeth.
Explaining the impacts of oral health conditions, Loto said, “a large burden falls on low-and-middle-income countries, and in the African region, roughly 40–45 percent of the population suffer from oral diseases.”
He added that “the global economic burden of major oral conditions was estimated to be about $710 billion, combining direct health care and productivity losses.”
Loto concluded that the restorative dentist, as a jack of all trades and master of all, is indeed a hope for all dental afflictions.
