In the sunless town of Rubavu District in the Western Province of Rwanda, 20 healthcare workers gathered in a room near Rubavu District Headquarters to discuss the best way to treat people including children who gathered at Nyundo Health Centre for dental care.

A significant number of healthcare workers come from abroad to participate in missions such as Dental Mission without Borders, SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda staff through the Healthy Teeth for Life project and students from the University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS).

The mission aims to provide treatment to 1,500 individuals, including 500 children, in the Nyundo and Rugerero sectors and their neighbouring areas. However, it has been observed that individuals are travelling from far away to seek dental care, according to Beata Mukabahire, the coordinator of the Healthy Teeth for Life Project in SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda.

She added, “At the beginning of this mission, we targeted to reach out to 1,500 people, but we are really proud of the outcome because we have already reached more than 1,700 people, including 804 children.”

Beata emphasized that based on observations; the main diseases are Dental caries and periodontal disease, which are mainly caused by poor oral hygiene. Beata added that children have soft teeth, and if they consume a lot of sugary stuff, plus ineffective brush their teeth decay easily.

She said, "People do not brush either at all or effectively. Parents or other grown-up family members are encouraged to help their children brush until they are nine.”

Nzahumunyurwa Lorien, 53, took his son for dental care and two teeth were extracted. Lorient got information about the dental mission through their local leaders. Lorien said “The local leaders informed me about dental care specialists who would provide free dental treatment. As a result, I decided to bring my young boy who has ongoing dental issues, for treatment. The illness came from his gums and affected his two teeth. These teeth were extracted as a long-term solution, and I am glad for that."

Jean Damascene Nsengiyumba, 48 years old from the Rugerero sector, also had his tooth extracted because he had been suffering a lot from it. "It has been three months since I started feeling pain, but I hope to get better soon."

Jean Damascene expressed his gratitude to everyone who had them in their thoughts, especially the Dental Mission team SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda and the University of Rwanda as they have encountered numerous cases of people suffering from dental issues.

Grace Mutagorama, a nurse at Nyundo Health Centre, emphasized that the dental issues at Nyundo Health Centre stem from poor oral hygiene and a lack of understanding about oral health.

Grace stated, "Many people here do not fully grasp the importance of oral hygiene and are often negligent when it comes to addressing dental problems. They tend to wait until the issue becomes severe before seeking dental care. There is a need for comprehensive education and awareness about oral hygiene."

The team leader of the Dental Mission, Stine Martoft, stated that they chose to come to Rwanda to help Rwanda in the health sector and they are very proud of it
"We came to Rwanda to provide dental care to Rwandans, especially children and we are pleased with the results after three weeks.”

She added that most of the cases involve poor oral hygiene which is possible to prevent.
“There is a need to educate people about their oral health and encourage them to visit the dentist for their well-being,” Stine added.

About oral hygiene in Rwanda

Research carried out by the University of Rwanda, School of Dentistry in 2018 shows that around 59 per cent of children do not brush their teeth before going to school due to a lack of both a toothbrush and toothpaste, which exposes them to dental problems.

A 2018 study on oral health, which sampled 2,097 participants from 15 sites across the country, found that children aged between two to 12 years were at a high risk of developing dental problems, including cavities, caries, dry mouth, gum diseases, oral cancer and salivary gland disorders.