The Kenya Dental Association has urged the national government to introduce dental services in the Social Health Authority (SHA) for all.
Dental services are currently excluded from the health scheme for most Kenyans, except civil servants, due to budgetary and prioritisation decisions.
In a press briefing on Sunday, June 22, the association noted that the accelerating oral disease burden in the country, especially in children, necessitates the need for the government to embed oral services in the SHA.
The association has also pushed the government to assign more dentists to medical facilities, a move that he claims will advance the nation's transition to universal healthcare coverage while also improving healthcare outcomes in facilities.
"It is, however, unfortunate that SHA, which we designed as Kenyans' last year, is yet to cover dental care benefits. Kenyans should enjoy a minimal benefit through SHA, and we can start with the paediatric age group because the oral disease burden is increasing," one representative of the association said.
"We want the government to prioritise oral healthcare by giving hospitals qualified doctors and providing oral services to Kenyans in the manner that they deserve. Dental services are quite expensive, and paying out of pocket for dental care services is not sustainable," he added.
Furthermore, the association has urged the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to intensify and expand its crackdown on unqualified dentists who are freely providing services in both private and public hospitals.
"We have so many people masquerading as dentists in our hospitals, and that reality needs to change. We call upon the regulator to do what they are mandated to do by going out there and assessing all the dentists and whether they are qualified and licensed," he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 28, KMPDC urged Doctors and Dentists to actively accumulate their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points ahead of their annual license renewal.
Registered medics need to attain at least 50 CPD points within a calendar year as a standard requirement under the Medical Practitioners and Dentists (Continuing Professional Development) Rules, 2019. Failure to meet this demand means a practitioner's license cannot be renewed.
KMPDC further discouraged practitioners from submitting falsified or inaccurate CPD records, as such actions will lead to disciplinary action.
"Medical and dental practitioners and Community Oral Health Officers (COHOs) are reminded to actively accumulate their required CPD points as the year progresses," the council said.
