JOOTRH’s Dental Care Leap Forward

Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Lorraine Faith A single visit is now enough to restore a child’s smile at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). This marks a major shift for families who have long struggled with repeated dental visits and untreated pain. The hospital has successfully completed its first full mouth restoration using its own in-house capacity, a key step in advancing paediatric dental care. The procedure was led by Dr. Immaculate Opondo, a paediatric dentist from Maseno University, working alongside the JOOTRH dental and theatre teams. A newly acquired portable dental unit has closed a long-standing gap, allowing comprehensive care to be delivered entirely within the facility. What once required external support can now be done seamlessly at JOOTRH. In this case, multiple dental conditions were treated in a single session under anaesthesia—an approach that replaces what would traditionally take up to six visits. The team performed dental fillings, extractions, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, and oral prophylaxis, resolving all issues at once. “This is what we call full mouth restoration because everything in the mouth is treated in a single session,” Dr Opondo explained. According to Dr Anthony Ganda, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at JOOTRH, the service is now fully established. Procedures are carried out in a single theatre session lasting between three and six hours. “It would have taken almost eight appointments—but we have done everything in one,” he noted. The service is especially beneficial for children who cannot tolerate routine dental care, including those with special needs such as autism and cerebral palsy. A structured booking system is already in place, with procedures scheduled every Tuesday after the necessary medical assessments. JOOTRH is also working to make the service more affordable through the Social Health Authority (SHA), given that similar procedures can cost between KSh 100,000 and 200,000 elsewhere. Dr Opondo has also emphasized prevention, noting high rates of childhood dental decay linked to sugary diets and poor oral hygiene. Many children still seek care only after complications develop. The procedure was delivered through a coordinated team effort. Dr Opondo led the surgery, assisted by dental intern Dr Obura. Nurse Celestine managed materials and logistics, while Dr Anthony Ganda provided oversight. Anaesthesia was administered by Dr Mboya, Cherotich, and Ogada, ensuring a safe and stable environment throughout. The session was also attended by Maseno University medical students on observership during their dentistry rotation, providing valuable exposure to advanced paediatric dental care.

JOOTRH’s Dental Care Leap Forward

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