Abuja: Dr Olaniyi Taiwo, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health (ICOH) for Africa, Jos, has urged that oral health be given greater priority, stressing its vital role in overall wellbeing and warning that neglecting dental care can contribute to wider health complications.
Taiwo told journalists on the sidelines of the 58th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) in Abuja.
He spoke on the theme “Healthy Smiles, Sustainable Futures: Integrating National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
He stated that there could be no sustainable development without health, and no health without oral health, noting that oral health, despite its strong links to overall wellbeing, remains largely excluded from national development discussions.
Taiwo stated that the implementation of the national oral health policy remained weak, and oral health services had yet to be integrated into Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) package.
He added that the country’s oral health survey data were outdated, while surveillance systems were underfunded, hindering effective planning and resource allocation.
According to him, an estimated 3.5 billion people globally are affected by oral diseases, yet oral health remains neglected and is not adequately reflected in UHC or SDG 3.
He noted that in Nigeria, dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral cancers and other NCD-related oral conditions remain highly prevalent, despite being largely preventable.
Taiwo stated that oral diseases continue to cause pain, disfigurement, reduced productivity, and an economic burden, despite oral health receiving less than one per cent of the national health budget.
He added that international donor agencies rarely prioritise oral health in their funding portfolios.
He emphasised that dentistry contributes to all three pillars of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection, through productivity, social participation, and sustainable clinical practices.
“Dentistry is not isolated; it is interwoven with human development,” Taiwo said.