“You are supposed to die with your teeth intact.” This is a message that dentists may not tell a patient as they pull-out a decayed tooth.

In Kenya, this phrase is not often put in practice as the problem of dental diseases grows by the day, doctors said.

Yet the country continues to grapple with a shortage of dental specialists and expensive medical services, meaning that most cases go unattended and therefore become worse.

It is estimated that only five per cent of Kenyans have access to quality dental health care because of lack of a proper health financing system.

This prevents most low income earners from accessing dentists.

Insurance linked to dental health is more often than not targeted at middle and high income earners.

And the fact that most dental specialists are concentrated in urban centres locks out most rural folk when it comes to access to dental services.

Kenya’s dental health situation, like that of many African countries can be termed as dire, specialists said.

According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, nearly 90 per cent of adults have at least one form of gum disease.

Most Kenyans have decayed, missing, or filled teeth. Brushing teeth is more often than not seen as a luxury, the board said.

There is inadequate attention paid to oral health, which is illustrated by the fact that the Ministry of Medical Services allocates to dental care a paltry 0.0016 per cent of the total health budget.