Oral health is one of the most prominent issues across the globe, but it is predominantly prevalent in developing nations, specifically the African continent and Middle East region. One should be aware that oral health is a core aspect of a person’s well-being and overall health since it can lead to an array of problems ranging from mere pain to cancer. A study suggests that refugees from the specified regions had severe issues due to their dental health, and more than half of these people experienced impaired daily performance due to their decayed teeth (Høyvik et al., 2018). In other words, oral hygiene is poorly maintained among individuals with lower socioeconomic status who are from developing nations of the Middle East and Africa, which means that social justice theory concepts of equality are being undermined in these countries. However, it is possible to limit these major well-being hindrances through good dentition practices and support, which means that both treatment and preventions are effective measures to combat oral health problems in these regions.
It is evident that the primary cause of poor oral health in the African continent and the Middle East is the expensiveness and inaccessibility of preventative measures. Therefore, another study conducted across a multitude of nations shows that certain plants and natural products can be highly useful in preventing oral health-related complications, such as tooth decay or loss of teeth (Chinsembu, 2016). These plants are present in many African nations as well as in some regions of the Middle East, which indicates that the lack of access to proper dental services and relevant experts can be partially mitigated by the use of plants. In other words, in accordance with social justice theory, developing nations need assistance in improving their oral health through effective preventative measures by using plants since treatment procedures are either unavailable or expensive.
References
Chinsembu, K. C. (2016). Plants and other natural products used in the management of oral infections and improvement of oral health. Acta Tropica, 154, 6-18. Web.
Høyvik, A. C., Lie, B., Grjibovski, A. M., & Willumsen, T. (2018). Oral health challenges in refugees from the Middle East and Africa: A comparative study. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 21, 443-450. Web.