EVALUATION AND SUPPLY OF ORAL CARE SERVICES IN THE HEALTH DISTRICT OF MBANGA, CAMEROON
Authors: DJANGA Esther Marguerite Chase , Essomba Therese Mbezele , Edo’o Vanina Doris , Herve Jules Julien Ndjoh, Jim Nemy , Etouno Tatiana Mossus u , Abba-Kabir Haamit Mahammat , Essi Marie-Jose 
Published: May 2022

Background: Access to oral care is a real public health challenge because dental pathologies affect all social strata, even the most disadvantaged. Knowing that the peripheral level in the health pyramid of Cameroon does not always benefit from oral services, this work proposed to present the offer of oral services in conventional medicine and traditional medicine in the Health District of Mbanga.
Materials and methods: A mixed descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the Mbanga health district taking place from April 2021 to January 2022. All dentists and traditional therapists providing oral care were included in the study and having given their consent. To do this, a reading grid and an interview guide made it possible to obtain two types of variables. The qualitative variables were analyzed manually with the color code. While the quantitative variables were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 software.
Results: Total 13 traditional healers were found and two dental surgeons working in the community of Mbanga were interacted for this study. The dentists were only women with less than a year of experience. The technical platform consisted of a portable dental chair and a dental case. The benefits were essentially curative. The traditional therapists worked in counters or in their vehicles. The majority of the products were decoctions. They treated oral ailments and would refer to the hospital in case of complications. Only a few used products to perform dental extractions.
Conclusion: The offer of services must be within the reach of every individual. However, this offer must be in line with the need.

Peer Review History:
Received: 1 March 2022; Revised: 9 April; Accepted: 26 April, Available online: 15 May 2022
Academic Editor: Dr. Asia Selman Abdullah, Pharmacy institute, University of Basrah, Iraq, asia_abdullah65@yahoo.com
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Received file: Reviewer's Comments:
Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.5/10
Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10
Reviewers:
Dr. A.A. Mgbahurike, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, amaka_mgbahurike@yahoo.com
Dr. Bilge Ahsen KARA, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Hospital, Turkey, ahsndkyc@gmail.com
Dr. Peter Juma Ochieng, Biotech Research Center (BRC), Obuda University, Hungary, peter26juma@gmail.com
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