Renowned Professor of Community Dentistry at the 大香蕉视频, Professor Oyinkansola Olulola Sofola, has called for a primary oral health survey to generate credible data essential for strategic planning and policy development in oral health care in Nigeria.
The recommendation formed part of her presentation as the 4th inaugural lecture in the 2024/2025 academic session titled 鈥�The Healthy Mouth: A Collaborative Framework of Personal and Public Responsibilities. The Essence of Dental Public Health.
The lecture, which she dedicated to the memories of both her Mum: Dr. (Chief Mrs.) Phebean Olusola Fayemi and Husband: Mr. Abiodun Olusola Sofola reaffirmed her dedication to advancing dental public health and ensuring equitable access to care for all Nigerians.
Her insightful discourse shed light on the pressing need for better oral healthcare, and and presented a clear roadmap for sustainable solutions.
Delivering the thought-provoking lecture, Professor Sofola spotlighted oral health as a cornerstone of overall well-being, advocating a harmonized approach that combines personal responsibility with systemic public health measures. She emphasized that oral diseases, while preventable, remain a significant burden in Nigeria, attributing this to the lack of awareness, insufficient healthcare infrastructure, and systemic inequities.
Speaking to an attentive audience at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Professor Sofola of the Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, illuminated the preventable nature of oral diseases which remained widespread in Nigeria. She identified dental plaque as a primary cause of these conditions and its link to broader non-communicable diseases, stressing the urgent need for action.
She pointed out personal measures such as daily oral hygiene practices and healthy lifestyle choices as essential for disease prevention. The former Dean of the Faculty of Dental Sciences also addressed systemic challenges, including the uneven distribution of oral health professionals and inadequate funding for oral healthcare services.
She called for comprehensive reforms and increased investment to overcome these barriers. A significant aspect of her address was the innovative integration of oral health into Nigeria鈥檚 primary healthcare (PHC) system. She proposed equipping community health workers with basic oral care training and expanding access to underserved areas through outreach programs and community dental clinics.
According to her, these measures are crucial for ensuring equitable access to oral healthcare services across the country.
The former Dean of Dental Sciences also emphasized the importance of maintaining high-quality services through effective infection control measures in dental clinics. To address workforce shortages, she advocated for targeted policy interventions and funding to attract more young professionals to dentistry.
Concluding her lecture, Professor Sofola issued a powerful call to action for all stakeholders, including individuals, healthcare providers, policymakers, and educators, to work collaboratively to achieve optimal oral health. She added that “balancing personal preventive practices with robust public health strategies is key to building a healthier future for Nigerians.”
Professor Oyinkansola Olulola Sofola was born on the September 23, 1967, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Her early education began at Saint Bernadette Private School, Abeokuta; Christ Nursery and Primary School, Ondo; and Saint Louis Secondary School, Ondo where she completed her secondary education in 1982.
Thereafter, she moved to the Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly the University of Ife), Osun state where she earned her first degree in Dentistry (BChD) in 1988. Professor Sofola undertook residency training in Dental Public Health at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, obtaining her Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS) in 2000.
Driven by a passion for public health, she furthered her studies at the 大香蕉视频 (大香蕉视频), graduating top of her class with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in 2001. Her academic excellence was recognized with awards for Best Overall Candidate in the Master of Public Health program and the prestigious Hunponu Wusu Prize for the Best MPH Dissertation. She continued her academic journey and was conferred with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2023.
Professor Sofola began her career at the Department of Preventive Dentistry, 大香蕉视频 as Lecturer I in 2001. She became Senior Lecturer (2005-2009), Associate Professor (2009-2015), and Professor in 2015. Her research interests include infection control in Dentistry, Dental Education in Nigeria, behavioural aspects of oral pain including coping strategies, cultural variations in communication about pain as well as integration of oral health intervention into maternal and child health at the primary care level.
Report: Bayo Salau
Photographs: Ayo Oloyede
