Kenya's ministry of health in conjunction with industry partners has launched a month long campaign to combat oral diseases that have worsened against a backdrop of healthcare personnel deficit and changing dietary habits.

The nationwide campaign will sensitize the public on proper hygiene and regular checkups to curb spread of bacterial diseases that affects the mouth. The Kenya Oral Health Survey that was conducted recently indicated Kenya has one dentist per 42,000 patients, which falls short of the recommended ratio of one dentist per 7,000 patients by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Most health facilities in the country lack modern infrastructure to deal with oral diseases. The majority of dental laboratories are poorly equipped and facilities lack sufficient commodities. The government has prioritized training of dentists to help deal with personnel gaps in public health facilities where poor citizens affected by oral diseases seek treatment.

The common dental ailments in the country are tooth decay, gum diseases, dental caries, dental fluorosis and maxillofacial trauma (interpersonal violence that cause injuries to head, mouth and neck).