The oral health of South Africans is in the spotlight as a new global report reveals that millions of us in the country are suffering from various oral health issues including tooth decay, severe gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancer.

The report released by the World Health Organisation indicates that children in the country are at the greatest risk of facing difficulties with their oral health - 41% of children aged one to nine years have untreated tooth decay, while at least 28% of children aged five years and over experienced untreated tooth decay. Many of these oral health challenges are preventable and treatable, so why is this a challenge in South Africa? We’ll chat to Dr Paul Mathai from the South African Dental Association.