Advocates integration of oral health into general care

A professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Ezekiel Adebayo, has disclosed that crashes occasioned by highways and motorcycles account for a major maxillofacial injury in the country.

While delivering the 7th inaugural lecture of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, Adebayo, who is the Dean, Faculty of Dental Science, called for strict enforcement of traffic laws to prevent avoidable accidents.

The expert, in the lecture entitled ‘Man and His Oral Health: Exploits of a Maxillofacial Surgeon’ at the Laje Campus of the university, said research revealed that only two per cent of motorcycle accident victims put on helmets during crashes.

Meanwhile, the don advocated that oral health be integrated into general healthcare, particularly at the primary level, due to the high cost of oral care.

He said, “We need to enforce existing traffic laws, such as those against driving under the influence of alcohol. Improving road conditions, ensuring that motorcyclists use crash helmets, avoiding overloading, and requiring proper training for motorcycling as many motorcyclists are not trained to handle the vehicles they use. Proper training is essential. Diversifying transportation modes, such as increasing the use of rail, water, and air transport, will help decongest roads and reduce accidents.

“Oral health treatments are expensive, and many people cannot afford them, so they avoid seeking care. There is a need for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to include oral health care, ensuring that people are not deterred by the cost of treatment.”

Adebayo stressed that for the issue of brain drain in the medical profession to be addressed, the issue of cost of living and insecurity must be tackled by the government.

He added, “If the quality of life for everyone is improved, doctors will naturally benefit as well. This is in addition to targeted incentives that reduce the attraction of leaving the country, such as better remuneration, lower taxation and improved working conditions.

“If the general living condition of Nigerians improves, along with targeted incentives for health care workers, the retention of these workers in Nigeria will improve. This will make Nigeria’s situation comparable to opportunities abroad, reducing the motivation to leave.”