UNIBEN slams shortage of orthodontists, says 70 insufficient for over 200 million Nigerians
A professor of dentistry from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, has denounced the shortage of orthodontists in Nigeria.
The orthodontist lamented that the country's 70 practitioners remain largely insufficient to serve the more than 200 million Nigerians.
Professor Ize-Iyamu, who made the observations at the University 262 Inaugural Lecture on Thursday, said that according to the Nigerian Association of Orthodontists (NOA), the ratio was 1 to 2 orthodontists, 7 million people in 2019.
She noted that the statistics contrasted sharply with the United States of America where there was one orthodontist for every 5,054 people, adding that the numbers were also encouraging in European countries and the United Kingdom.
>She therefore called for the training of more specialists in Nigeria to achieve the ratio achieved in developed countries.
She noted that the trainer-to-trainer ratio at the West African College of Surgeon and the National Postgraduate Medical College in Nigeria is one consultant orthodontist to three and four doctors respectively, adding, "It slows the pace, given the many of the training centers are also few.”
Ize-Iyamu added that out of the 70 orthodontists in the country, there are currently 10 professors in Nigeria including four in Lagos, three in Benin, two in Ife and one in Port Harcourt.
"There are only nine accredited dental schools for undergraduate training which involves the teaching of orthodontist as a subject and part of the curriculum. The total number of approved dental students in Nigeria by the Medical and Dental Council is 165, which translates to one professor for every over 16 students and 21 million Nigerians,” the university’s donation noted.
She urged policy makers to formulate plans that would integrate the poor into society so that interventions that could transform a smile would be made available at selected health facilities.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MINE BITCOINS AND EARN DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO WITHDRAWAL TO YOUR DAILY BANK ACCOUNT. REGISTRATION IS FREE.
Earn a guaranteed legal income daily through sport and it is paid to you in dollars. Find out how
A professor of dentistry from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, has denounced the shortage of orthodontists in Nigeria.
The orthodontist lamented that the country's 70 practitioners remain largely insufficient to serve the more than 200 million Nigerians.
Professor Ize-Iyamu, who made the observations at the University 262 Inaugural Lecture on Thursday, said that according to the Nigerian Association of Orthodontists (NOA), the ratio was 1 to 2 orthodontists, 7 million people in 2019.
She noted that the statistics contrasted sharply with the United States of America where there was one orthodontist for every 5,054 people, adding that the numbers were also encouraging in European countries and the United Kingdom.
>She therefore called for the training of more specialists in Nigeria to achieve the ratio achieved in developed countries.
She noted that the trainer-to-trainer ratio at the West African College of Surgeon and the National Postgraduate Medical College in Nigeria is one consultant orthodontist to three and four doctors respectively, adding, "It slows the pace, given the many of the training centers are also few.”
Ize-Iyamu added that out of the 70 orthodontists in the country, there are currently 10 professors in Nigeria including four in Lagos, three in Benin, two in Ife and one in Port Harcourt.
"There are only nine accredited dental schools for undergraduate training which involves the teaching of orthodontist as a subject and part of the curriculum. The total number of approved dental students in Nigeria by the Medical and Dental Council is 165, which translates to one professor for every over 16 students and 21 million Nigerians,” the university’s donation noted.
She urged policy makers to formulate plans that would integrate the poor into society so that interventions that could transform a smile would be made available at selected health facilities.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MINE BITCOINS AND EARN DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO WITHDRAWAL TO YOUR DAILY BANK ACCOUNT. REGISTRATION IS FREE.
Earn a guaranteed legal income daily through sport and it is paid to you in dollars. Find out how
What's Your Reaction?
