Dentistry Discipline Champions Oral Cancer Awareness in Community Campaign

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Staff and students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Discipline of Dentistry presented an oral cancer awareness event at eThekwini’s Phoenix township, joining forces with the Public Oral Health Forum, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), and the Woodview Cancer Support Group.

It was all part of the ongoing #OralCancerAwarenessMonth campaign, with the team delivering oral cancer education, self-screening demonstrations, as well as community oral cancer screening.

“The event emphasised the Discipline’s longstanding commitment to meaningful community engagement and oral disease prevention,” said UKZN Dentistry senior lecturer, Dr Rajeshree Moodley.

Dr Bulela Vava, Community Dentistry lecturer, Founder and Executive Director, Public Oral Health Forum, said: “As part of our commitment to advancing oral health equity in South Africa, we remain committed to promoting prevention, early detection, and equitable access to care, including oral cancer care.”

“This initiative reflected the importance of investing in preventive and people-centred approaches to cancer prevention and early detection efforts. We must continue to strengthen primary healthcare integration, community literacy, and early referral pathways, all for the sake of preserving and promoting long, healthy and thriving lives,” Vava said. “Collaborating with partners and engaging in meaningful community engagement to promote oral disease prevention efforts always fills my heart with such a profound sense of fulfilment and joy. I thank colleagues, friends and donors who decided to support our campaign.”

Vava - a dentist, activist, social entrepreneur, and Tekano Fellow - thanked colleagues, friends, and donors who generously supported the campaign. Speaking alongside Dr Rajeshree Moodley, he affirmed that the event was only the beginning of a sustained push toward effective investments in accessible, integrated, comprehensive and quality oral healthcare.

Vava and Moodley extended an open invitation to all stakeholders: “Partner with a Public Oral Health Forum on a quest for oral health equity, well-being and dignity for all.”

Said Moodley: “UKZN’s Discipline of Dentistry offers two three-year degree programmes training the next generation of community-focused oral health practitioners. Dental Therapists are able to work independently within both the public and private sectors, performing all functions within the scope of primary and secondary levels of prevention in dentistry, including curative dental procedures such as tooth extractions and restorations, as well as preventive procedures such as scaling and polishing, dental radiography, and health education and promotion.”

Oral hygienists, on the other hand, work within both the private and public sectors, focusing on evidence-based oral health promotion and prevention at a primary health care level, he said. “Within a multidisciplinary and inter-professional framework, they perform dental procedures such as scaling and polishing, root planing, and dental radiography for all patients, with particular emphasis on those with special needs. They also provide supervised, specialised preventive care in orthodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, and other dental specialities, and deliver oral health education programmes at schools and other community-based centres.”

Moodley was thrilled to confirm that oral hygienists can now register as independent practitioners.

UKZN’s Discipline of Dentistry aims to train dental professionals capable of playing preventive, promotive, supportive, curative, and rehabilitative roles across the oral health team, in both public and private sectors.

The Discipline’s call to action is: “Get involved, follow #OralCancerAwarenessMonth and reach out to the Public Oral Health Forum to partner in advancing oral health equity across South Africa.”

Words: Lunga Memela

Photographs: Supplied