Public health approaches to the prevention of oral diseases and promotion of oral health in Nigeria.

Oral health is an important component of general health and a determinant factor for quality of life. Though oral diseases are largely preventable, many people across the globe still suffer from pain and discomfort associated with oral diseases. The attainment of optimum oral health is impeded by a number of obstacles which include the cost and affordability of treatment, poor access due to workforce shortages and inequitable distribution of the dental workforce and low oral health literacy amongst others. The provision of oral health services is oriented towards curative care. There appears to be no coordinated national strategy for preventive dental care in Nigeria. Effective public health strategies are required to prevent oral diseases and promote oral health across the population. Generally, strategies to prevent oral diseases will be most effective when priority is given to the multi-sectoral approach rather than a single-sector approach, population-based interventions rather than those aimed at high-risk individuals, and primary rather than secondary prevention. The aim of this paper was to highlight some of the oral diseases in Nigeria and discuss public health approaches to promote oral health and prevent the diseases.