Dentists in the medical sector have called on the federal government to provide more funding for medical colleges to improve the study of dentistry in tertiary institutions across the country.
The dentists spoke on Thursday at the 2nd day of the 5th Biennial Faculty Day lecture of the Faculty of Dentistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, Ikeja with the theme ‘ Dental Education in Nigeria: Past, Present and Future’.
The Guest Lecturer at the event who is also the Registrar, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria,Ijanikin, Lagos, Prof. Temitope Esan lamented the accreditation of dental study in some universities by the federal government without the capacity to offer such a study.
He noted that Nigeria has 20 dentist hospitals across the country, out of which two are privately owned, and only 12 out of the 20 have the necessary equipment and capacity to offer treatment.
Esan, therefore, urged the government to provide more funding to medical colleges so that Nigeria can produce more dentists.
Dentistry faculty day
“When you have practitioners who do not have clear knowledge of what the profession is about, there will be mistakes. We should tailor our curriculum towards what’s needed in the practice of dentistry.
There should be criteria for approving the study of dentistry in medical colleges, and the government should provide funding so we can produce more qualified dentists,” Esan said.
The Acting Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, LASUCOM, Prof. Olufemi Adesina said since 2017 when the faculty received full accreditation of its programmes, the faculty has graduated nine sets of dental surgeons noting that the faculty have been re-engineered to meet the challenges of modern trend in dental education
He further said that three professors have recently been promoted, while by the school management, the promotion of another four is being processed.
“ The faculty may still be seen as emerging in relative terms, but it is obviously one of the frontliners in the training of dental students among its contemporaries in the country at the moment,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor Lagos State University, LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, represented by the Provost, LASUCOM, Olufemi Idowu, said dental education in Nigeria is on ‘strong foot’
“Dentistry can not remain stationary. The government needs to invest in oral health research. At LASU, our vision is to strengthen our faculty of dentistry into a center of excellence that can contribute to national development,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabanwo, represented by A. O.Adekoya and chairman of the lecture, Prof. Sunny Jeboda commended the management of LASUCOM for making improvements in the study of dentistry in the college one of which is building of state-of-the-art well equipped dentist building within the college modeled after the one in Liverpool, United Kingdom.