More than 6 out of 10 people in Ghana (66%) have never visited a dentist due to lack of access. Lack of professional care means oral problems often go untreated, resulting in worsening conditions, pain, and other health issues. In Ghana, 1 in 4 people over the age of 5 have untreated caries on permanent teeth and 4 out of 6 lose all their teeth by age 65.
In light of this, Pepsodent’s new global campaign – Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist was launched today to mark World Oral Health Day 2023 and to encourage people to take the first step to improve their oral health with a free Teledental consultation.
Today, there are more than 10,000 people for every dentist in Ghana, even though the World Health Organisation recommends a dentist-population ratio of 1 dentist per 7,500 people. Given this severe lack of access, millions of people have never been to a dentist. This means that oral health problems often go untreated. 25% of Ghanaians over the age of 5 have untreated caries of permanent teeth, which affects quality of life and wellbeing, and means people suffer from largely preventable pain. Additionally, there is an adverse economic impact as this results in people missing work due to pain and discomfort, leading to $161 million total productivity loss worldwide. Pepsodent Ghana is on a mission to change this and help those who have never been to a dentist take the first step to improve their oral health.
Adopting the belief that everyone should have access to quality dental health advice and care, Pepsodent Ghana aims to give millions of people the opportunity to access professional dentist advice for free through its teledentistry service. The service is made freely available for everyone and can be conveniently accessed via mobile devices using direct links or USSDs. It connects people with dentists in real time, who can help identify causes of an oral care problem and provide professional advice to address the problem at home, where possible. If at-home care is not suitable, the patient will be given advice about how to seek professional help at a clinic. Now everyone can talk to a dentist.
Osato Evbuomwan, Category Manager, Oral Care Ghana, says, “A core value of our brand is to prevent oral disease for everyone. We want to make the process of accessing a dentist as seamless as possible, to provide quality dental advice and care, especially for those who have never been to a dentist before. Our teledentistry service and dental camps have been introduced to give people access to professional oral healthcare, no matter where they are. Our World Oral Health Day 2023 campaign, ‘Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist’ encourages people to take the first step to improving their oral health by going for their first dental visit, for free.”
Dr. Paapa Puplampu, President of the Ghana Dental Association, also emphasized, “A large proportion of the population has never been to the dentist, not even once. To change this reality, our job is to help people take the first step towards better oral health by providing them with easy and convenient access to dental consultations. Pepsodent Ghana’s teledentistry and dental camps services will help to improve people’s habits and hopefully encourage them to regularly go for check-ups to avoid costly procedures in the future”.
Alongside this year’s campaign, ‘Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist’, Pepsodent will be launching its teledentistry service which consumers can utilise on their mobile phones through designated shortcodes. Interested dental professionals can reach out to Pepsodent on their social media accounts or with the contacts provided, or they can contact relevant members from the Ghana Dental Association or Ministry of Health. Monthly dental camps will also be located across the different regions to provide screening and other oral health care services, so all are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity and share their experiences on social media.
This World Oral Health Day, Pepsodent Ghana is urging everyone to take the first step to improve their oral health with a free Teledental consultation. You can access the service by scanning the QR code with the camera on your mobile phone device and tap the chat now button to talk to a dentist or call the toll-free number 0800 161 000 and follow the voice prompts alternatively visit https://www.pepsodent.com/gh for more details.