Currently, fewer than 500 dentists serve Ghana’s population of over 30 million with most concentrated in the urban centres, plac­ing about 70 per cent of the population at risk of oral diseases.

The Director-General (D-G) of the GHS, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, made this known at the commemoration of World Oral Health Day (WOHD) in Accra yesterday under the theme; “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind.”

Observed annually on March 20, WOHD aims to raise awareness of oral health issues as crucial component for overall health, well-be­ing and improved quality of life.

This year’s theme highlights the connection between oral health and mental well-being, emphasizing that good oral health was essen­tial for a healthier and happier life.

Prof. Akoriyea said with less than 10 per cent of Ghanaians having ever visited a dentist, coupled with nearly half of the population not using fluoride

 toothpaste when brushing and many others brushing infrequently, the Service intended to intensify public education campaigns across all levels to promote better oral hygiene practices and improve oral health outcomes across the country.

“Individuals with poor oral health were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes and obesity as well as lifestyle choices like alcohol­ism, tobacco use and excessive sugar con­sumption, reinforcing the connection between oral health and overall systemic health.

We are going to leverage on technology by using digital platforms to educate the public on oral hygiene, strengthen preventive mea­sures and enhance collaboration with stake­holders to enhance research and training on oral health in the country.

Prof. Akoriyea encouraged the public to adopt good oral hygiene practices to minimise the threat of oral diseases by visiting the den­tist regularly, brushing at least twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, reduce sugar intake and avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption for optimum oral health.

“Oral health is not a privilege but a funda­mental right. Improving oral health is not the sole responsibility of dentists; it is a collective effort involving government, communities, schools, corporate bodies and all individuals,” he stated.

In a speech read on his behalf, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Rep­resentative, Dr Frank Lule, said although oral diseases were highly preventable, low public knowledge and inaccessibility of oral healthcare services continued to encourage its prevalence among the populace.

“This is the time to act and we will require engaging multi-sectorial stakeholders, securing funding through innovative financing mech­anisms such as allocating health tax revenue to oral health, integrating oral health services into the national health insurance benefits package and then using a people-centered approach to implementation.

We need to work together for better oral health outcomes,” he said.