A Professor of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Ondo State, Adolphous Loto, has said that oral health diseases affect nearly 3.7 billion people worldwide, which is about 45 of the world population.
Professor Loto made this submission at the 11th Inaugural Lecture of UNIMED titled “Restoring Health to Dentally Afflicted Patients: The Role 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 or confluence of biology, materials science, technology, and compassion, crafting health and hope out of afflictions”. Based on this description, the lecturer said “the restorative dentist wears many caps as a diagnostician, periodontist, endodontist, educator, technologist, craftsman, artist, scientist, humanitarian and healer”.
Loto further said that about 2.5 billion people have dental caries (tooth decay involving permanent teeth and untreated 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, 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 impact of oral health conditions, Professor Loto said “a large burden falls on low-and-middle-income countries and that in African region, roughly 40-45% of the population suffer from oral diseases”. He added that “the global economic burden of major oral conditions was estimated to be about US$710 billion, combining direct health care and productivity losses”.
Loto added that the restorative dentist, as a jack of all trades and master of all, is indeed a hope out of all dental afflictions.
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