Dental Project
Expansion of dental care in Kenya
The population of remote rural areas in Kenya in particular has little or no access to dental care. With a population of 47.5 million, there are only 1,300 dentists, 80% of whom practice in cities and urban centers.
Dentists for Africa has therefore set up 14 dental clinics, mainly in western Kenya. From there, mobile teams regularly travel to remote areas to reach people who cannot afford the travel costs. One focus is on prevention, especially in schools, to educate children about oral hygiene and protect them in the long term.
Target audience
Our goal is to treat Kenya’s impoverished population.
Mobiles
In mobile applications, the range of treatments is mainly surgical.
Dental offices
The dental practices are equipped for extensive tooth preservation treatments.
Prophylaxis
A particular focus of our work is on prophylaxis.
Focus on education and training
DfA specifically supports young Kenyans from the sponsorship project in vocational training in the dental field. After completing their training, they work in dental clinics and put their skills to use serving the needy population—a rarity in a country where dentists usually migrate to the cities for economic reasons. This makes our project particularly sustainable. Several times a year, continuing education seminars are held to teach dental, social, and personal skills. A major focus is on practical skills, which tend to be neglected in the Kenyan education system. Seven Community Oral Health Officers and three dentists have already completed their training. Another eleven students are currently studying Community Oral Health or dentistry.
Project partners in Kenya
Since 1999, Dentists for Africa has been working with two Franciscan orders in Kenya. They have proven to be reliable and transparent partners.
The Franciscan Sisters run private hospitals locally, where the DfA dental clinics are located. The reason for the collaboration is the comparatively well-developed health and education structures established by the Catholic Church in Kenya. They are also very familiar with the problems of the local population through their work with people in need. The nuns have different educational backgrounds and include a wide range of professionals, such as teachers, nurses, project managers, etc. DfA has financed dental studies for two Franciscan nuns and now employs them in the dental clinics, where they are responsible for the further training of their young colleagues, among other things.