Periodontal health status in Africa after decades of development

As at independence in the sixties and seventies, few countries in Africa had dental institutions to train oral health personnel. None can claim to have done national dental surveys. By 1979, most countries were reported to have no organized dentistry. Literature reports on the prevalence of periodontal diseases in Africa indicated that it was among the highest in the world. Therefore, this paper reviews epidemiological studies that have been done in the last 33 years or so, in an attempt to shed some light on the improvement of periodontal health status if any, that has taken place. It is concluded that there is no evidence to show that periodontal health status has improved during this period of development.