More than 80% of children under the age of six in the Western Cape are battling tooth decay, according to Professor Veerasamy Yengopal, the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

This shocking statistic was revealed at one of the most significant success stories of the faculty’s Department of Paediatric Dentistry - the launch of the country’s first specialised Paediatric and Special Needs Care Unit.

The unit, established recently at the faculty’s Tygerberg Campus, is specifically designed to deal with children and is fitted with some of the latest technological advances to make visits more pleasant. The project, which cost more than R1 Million, was generously funded by the Rotary Club in Bellville, the Rotary Foundation and six other Rotary clubs abroad.

UWC houses the largest dental school in Africa, and Prof Yengopal has lauded the watershed development as pivotal for the country’s dental care sector. “This specialist facility is geared to specifically deal with paediatric dentistry, including children with special needs. It’s a niche area which requires a special type of person to manage these patients.”

“You need patience, passion and special skills, such as behaviour management skills, to manage and treat children effectively. The work is done in the chair in the clinic because theatre is very expensive,” said Prof Yengopal. 

The dedicated paediatric unit has all the latest dental equipment and advanced technology.

Dr Nicoline Potgieter, President of the South African Association of Paediatric Dentistry and coordinator of the master’s programme in Paediatric Dentistry at UWC, said there is a dire need for expert oral healthcare tailored for children’s needs.

“It is important to note that oral health directly impacts general health, which impacts the quality of life. It is our responsibility to provide basic healthcare needs to our children. The technological advances incorporated into the unit support minimal invasive techniques and are focused on making dental visits more pleasant for our young patients,” said Potgieter.

The Department of Paediatric Dentistry at UWC has also been working to develop a specialist curriculum for paediatric dentistry and will soon train the first specialist in this field.

Currently, 77% of all the oral health chairs available for service delivery in the Western Cape are in the UWC training platform. This includes facilities in Tygerberg, Mitchells Plain, Red Cross, Groote Schuur and in the University’s state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic, launched in 2022.