Kota Kinabalu: Dental caries in Sabah is the highest in the country and yet the state has the lowest dentist-to-population ratio at 1:4,854 or each dentist having to attend to twice the number of patients. It is 1:2,343 for the country.
It would be helpful if fluoridated water is widely available from the public water supply system. The 2023 MOH Annual Report of the Oral Health Programme stated that only 6.75 per cent of the population in Sabah received fluoridated water compared to 75 per cent outside Sabah.
According to statistics, Sabah has an average of three decayed teeth per resident, which is twice that in the peninsula, involving dental cavities and gum disease.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Government figures in 2020 show that 85 per cent of the Sabah populace have dental decay and 95 per cent suffer from gum disease. This was revealed by Dr Lawrence Mah Hon Kheong, the former deputy director of oral health in Sabah.
One of the first questions rural folks ask during field visits by health officials is, “did you bring a dentist?”
For adults in Sabah, there were twice the number of teeth affected by dental decay in Sabah compared to Peninsula Malaysia; and one-third more teeth to be taken out because these were beyond restoring, Dr Mah said.
Dr Mah called for urgent collaboration between federal and state authorities to ensure continuous and successful implementation of fluoridation of public water supply to address this problem.
“Dental service today in Sabah has built on its foundation since the 1960s with the inception of the school dental service and also through the services provided at the dental clinics headed by dental officers in the major towns,” said Dr Mah.
“Sabahans can benefit from better access to a wider range of treatment options from additional dental clinics to be built allowing for shorter waiting and travelling times.
The ratio of government dental clinics to the population is 1: 19,445 compared to 1:12,337 for the country while for Sarawak is 1:11,002.
“Primary school students participate in the weekly school-based fluoride mouth rinsing programme in selected schools with the aim of controlling and preventing dental caries using a 0.2 per cent sodium fluoride solution.
“Another school-based prevention activity is the fissure sealant programme is a clinical prevention program for students at risk of tooth decay. Under this programme, a glass ionomer material is placed on permanent teeth with deep fissures/grooves which are prone to cavities.”
Dr Mah said prevention of dental caries by a population approach has proven effective in reducing its incidence through water fluoridation of public water supply in Malaysia since 1972. Unfortunately during a change of government in the past, there was a period of interruption.
“Sabah Voices to Action - Shaping Sabah’s Future Together” is a citizen-driven, non-partisan initiative running from March to June 2025, dedicated to amplifying Sabahans’ voices, fostering meaningful discussions, and shaping policies on education, healthcare, public infrastructure, and good governance.