The first time Pauline went to a dentist, she was 27 years old. A tooth had been bothering her for several months and when the pain became unbearable, she finally made use of her employers’ health insurance to visit a dentist. Within half an hour, she was done.
She was concerned that the filling to repair the cavity in her tooth would take some getting used to, but the friendly dentist assured her that that was natural. The dental clinic also scheduled scaling and polishing for her teeth in a week, and subsequent dental visits every 6 months.
This story isn’t unique to Pauline.
In fact, research shows that 66% of Ghanaians have never in their lives visited a dentist, with a high percentage of respondents giving cost as the key reason. After all, why pay money for a dental visit when you don’t feel any pain or discomfort?
For Pauline, she was fortunate to go at her company’s expense. This, unfortunately, is not the case for millions of Ghanaians. But, what if you could see a dentist without going to the dental clinic? And it was free?
Enter tele-dentistry.
In a world where remote working has become more mainstream, it only makes sense that healthcare professionals can also see their patients without being physically present with them. With just a phone call or a video call, it is possible today to have a full dental consultation from the comfort of your home or office or on the go.
As Ghana joins the rest of the world in marking the World Oral Health Day which falls every year on 20th March, Pepsodent is taking advantage of the celebration to launch a new campaign dubbed, “Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist”.
Pepsodent has been in the business of ensuring healthy teeth and gums for decades, and as a key stakeholder in the oral care space, the brand has partnered with the Ghana Dental Association (GDA) to offer free tele-dentistry services not only to city dwellers, but also to underserved communities in both rural and urban areas.
Today in Ghana, there are fewer than 600 dentists in Ghana, and majority of these are in big towns and cities. Thus, Pepsodent’s tele-dentistry drive makes dental services more accessible to everyone everywhere. And with a mobile telephony penetration of over 100% in Ghana, it means that indeed, now everyone can talk to a dentist.
While the ratio of dentists to the general population can’t be increased immediately, access to these dental care professionals has just opened up. This is where innovation and technology meet opportunity to create a brilliant solution.
So, if you’re like Pauline and you’ve never been to a dentist before or have been putting off that all-important dental checkup, Pepsodent is encouraging you to take that bold step this World Oral Health Day because “Now Everyone Can #TalkToADentist”. Waiting until you feel pain before visiting a dentist could be risky.
To find out more about Pepsodent’s tele-dentistry service, visit Pepsodent’s social media pages or the brand website at https://www.pepsodent.com/gh
