Unqualified Practitioners Endanger Uganda's Dental Patients Amid Regulatory Gaps

Patients in Uganda face serious risks in dental care due to blurred professional boundaries and inadequate regulation. Unqualified individuals often handle complex procedures, leading to pain, high costs, and potential complications.

Anne Asiimwe’s ordeal highlights the issue. In late 2024, she paid Shs600,000 at a Kampala clinic for a molar extraction that caused excruciating pain worse than childbirth. The same service at Mulago Hospital costs just Shs50,000, raising questions about who performed her procedure.

Uganda’s dentistry has evolved since the 1940s, with pioneers like Martin Aliker advancing the field. Makerere University began training dentists in 1982, and now institutions across the country produce public health dental officers (PHDOs), technicians, and surgeons. Yet, with 425 dentists for 46 million people, the ratio stands at 1:110,000—far below WHO standards.

Experts like prosthodontist Umaru Kizito note public confusion over roles. Lab technicians make dentures but shouldn’t fit them; some extract teeth while others handle cancer surgery. Greed and shortages lead to overreach, with lucrative procedures tempting unqualified staff.

Incidents include a nursing officer charged in February for illegal surgery. Though regulators like Charles Tusiime report few complaints, practitioners say underreporting is rampant due to patient fears.

Maxwell Ekwee Poro of UDOTA stresses the need for organized, well-trained staff. Facilities must display licenses, and complex cases require referrals. A unified Uganda Dental Society, advocated by the Uganda Dental Association, could streamline regulation under one body, promote prevention, and ensure safe care.

This would protect patients, reduce litigation, and foster collaboration across dental cadres.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)