On March 20, Rwanda will join the rest of the world to mark Oral Health Day, under the theme – a lifelong smile.

It will see national dental associations, dentists, dental students and the general public carry out several activities to promote oral health awareness and teach good oral hygiene.

However, as the countdown begins, the state of dental health especially among children is worrying and concerted efforts should be taken to address the problem especially among children.

There is need for more efforts to focus on prevention rather than concentrate on treatment of dental problems. Prevention is always cheaper and better than cure.

The latest World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics show that 60 – 90 percent of school children and nearly all adults have dental cavities.  Locally, the government has put in place measures to ensure easier access to oral health care services by rolling out health insurance coverage to over 75 percent of the population. Also, a five-year National Strategic Plan that will see every health centre get a dental therapist and a surgeon is in the offing.

But there is need for more sensitisation in homes, schools and communities in general, as a preventive approach. Dental ailments can be avoided if someone practices basic oral hygiene like brushing teeth every after a meal and avoiding foods that are known to cause cavities.

Dentists believe that kids who consume too much soda and not enough nutritional beverages are prone to tooth decay in addition to serious ailments later in life, such as diabetes and osteoporosis. Drinking carbonated soft drinks regularly can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel. There is also need to increase funding to dental health.