'No dentist in Upper East and West Regions' - GMA

Dr Constance Addo-Yobo, the Chief Dental Officer of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has revealed that there are no dentists in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.

She has, therefore, appealed to young dentists to accept postings to the two Regions to help bring dental services closer to the people.

Dr Addo-Yobo made the appeal over the weekend in Koforidua at the 24th Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Dental Association (GDA).

She said only 72 out of the 270 districts in the country had dentistry services, and explained that efforts to extend dental care to all districts was often hampered by the frequent change of Health Ministers.

Dr Addo-Yobo called for the establishment of a Dental Board to help find solutions to the challenges in dentistry, especially in the training of dentists.

She said the two dental training institutions in the country were faced with numerous challenges.

The President of the GDA, Dr Gilbert A. Ankrah, complained about the high cost of establishing dentistry, and called on the members of the association to collaborate with financial institutions in the efforts of funding the establishment of private dentistry.

He said it was time the Dental Association became independent of the Ghana Medical Association, and urged the members to work towards achieving that goal.

Dr Ankrah called on dentists to listen more to their clients and develop more creative prescriptions to make dental practice more attractive to their clients.

Mr George Andah, a marketing consultant, who was the guest of honour for the ceremony, called on members of the association to look at how to use marketing and branding to reposition the association and oral health practice in the health delivery system.

He urged members of the association to consider how to make chewing sticks and chewing sponges relevant in the development of products for oral health.