Dental education in Africa with special reference to Nigeria

Over the years, the dental profession in most of the developing countries of the world has given the education of the dentist greater priority over the education of dental auxiliaries. There has also been a great tendency on the part of the profession in these countries to think that dental education involves the training of dentists alone. The training of dental auxiliaries forms an important core of dental education for the training of oral health workers in the developing countries. The training of dentists in the developing countries, especially Africa, seems to have been lopsided with excessive emphasis on restorative procedures. The dental undergraduate training programme in a representative Nigerian dental school is investigated and suggestions made on the appropriate mode of training needed for the future Nigerian, and indeed the future African dentist. The need for effective parallel training of dental auxiliaries, especially in large numbers, is also emphasised.