MASAKA.
Members of Uganda Dental Association (UDA) have decried the low number of dental specialists, saying only 416 who are currently practicing in the country are not enough for 46 million Ugandans.
According to Dr. Mathew Rubona, the president of UDA , majority of the existing dental specialists are into private practice –meaning patients who seek dental services in public health facilities across the country are not adequately attended to .
“This is a serious crisis we need to tackle head-on as stakeholders .The government needs to establish more training facilities across the country and also improve the existing ones,” she said during the commemoration of 2025 World Oral Health Day at the Equator University of Science and Technology (EQUSat) in Masaka City on March 20, 2025.
The day was marked under the theme: “A happy mouth is a happy mind”.
Dr Rubona revealed that lack of enough dental specialists is the reason the country is failing to have effective delivery of oral health services.
Dr. Charles Olaro, the director general of the General Health Services at the Ministry of Health admitted the problem, saying a number of interventions are being deployed to address this challenge.
“This number [of 416 qualified dental specialists] is quite a very small, we admit that , but progressively we shall address the gap,” Dr Olaro said, adding
“Currently, strengthening training is on course to achieve this. The government is also leveraging partnerships with private individuals to grow the numbers. For example, it [government] provided land where this university [EQUSat] was established, we also want to see that some materials used in training of these doctors are being imported and are tax-free,” he said.
Dr Olaro called for reinforcement of community dentistry and public awareness as a sustainable measure for the public to embrace self-care and seek preventive measures early enough instead of waiting to seek tooth extraction.
“This is exacerbating the numbers that go for sophisticated treatment. Everyone remains duty bound to ensure that his/her mouth is healthy by adapting best oral health practices and conducting regular check-ups,” he emphasized
Dr. Rony Bahatungire, the acting Commissioner in charge of clinical services revealed that the draft National Oral Health Strategy is yet to be endorsed by the Ministry of Health.
“This draft which is pending review and approval by the ministry is going to be a game changer, it’s to ensure that oral health is well considered by the National Drug Authority,” he said
The vice Chancellor of EQUSat Prof. Muhammad Mpezamihigo attributed the low number of dentists to the heavy expenses required to pursue dentistry training and the cost of equipment used during training.
“As a an institution we offer this course at subsidized cost as a way of collaborating with the government to address this gap but still many fail along the way and drop out before completion of the course.” he said
When EQUSat started operations in August 2021, it partnered with Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for the school to house its dental clinic, according to Dr. Mary Nyantaro, the hospital deputy director .She said this partnership has revolutionized oral health services as staff and specialized equipment among others were boosted.
Prior to main celebrations, UDA, EQUSat among other partners engaged in a week-long activities providing free dental services across Masaka sub-region in primary schools, hospitals and the community in Masaka City, Kyotera, Masaka and Ssembabule districts . Over 7,000 cases were handled including check-ups, teeth extractions among other services were extended to the patients.
Statistics from UDA show that Uganda’s oral health statistics are alarming: about 32.5 percent of children and 66.7 percent of adults suffer from dental caries, while gum disease, oral cancers and fluorosis (yellowing of teeth) are also on the rise.
Available statistics from World Health Organisation (WHO) show that Uganda’s patient –to-dentist ratio stands at 1:110, 350 , against the recommended ratio of 1:7,500. With just 416 practitioners for more than 46million Ugandans, the workforce is stretched thin.