SUNY Potsdam students to host toothbrush drive to help curb HIV in Malawi

The country of Malawi in sub-Saharan Africa is engulfed in an HIV crisis that is being worsened by the lack of proper dental care. To help combat this problem, the Potsdam AIDS Education Group (PAEG) will be holding three toothbrush drives for the citizens of Malawi on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the SUNY Potsdam Barrington Student Union; Saturday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Potsdam Public Library and Saturday, Nov. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside Giant Tiger on Outer Market Street.

SUNY Potsdam Peer AIDS Educators will staff these drives and there will be boxes to drop off toothbrushes. Toothbrushes must be individually contained and wrapped. Donors are asked to provide manual toothbrushes only. There is a need for both adult and child toothbrushes, and softer bristles would be better suited for those persons with sensitive gums.

Infected persons in sub-Saharan Africa currently account for 70 percent of the world’s AIDS cases, and in Malawi, the prevalence ranges between 13 and 30 percent of the population.

With more than 60 percent of Malawians living below the poverty line, the country’s health indicators are among the worst in the world. Its 10 to 14 million citizens have access to only between six and 10 practicing dentists, and poor dental hygiene is known to increase the risk of contracting HIV.

“Poor dental care, combined with malnutrition or other diseases can suppress the immune system and make a person more susceptible to HIV,” said Dr. Patricia Whelehan, professor of anthropology at SUNY Potsdam.

Dr. Whelehan, who initiated and heads PAEG, said inadequate dental care often leads to mouth sores, abscesses and caries, which can serve as gateways for HIV.

“If a mother is HIV-positive and is nursing a child who has mouth sores or infections, HIV can be transmitted to that child,” she pointed out. “In situations where people are poor and resources are scarce, toothbrushes may be shared, and if they are shared immediately after use and contain HIV-infected blood, that can be a source of transmission.”

Dr. Whelehan stresses, however, that this means of transmission is only a risk for people with existing dental problems. “The concern is with infected blood, not saliva,” she noted.

The toothbrush drive is an offshoot of the UNC Malawi Dental Project, the brainchild of Dr. Ronald Strauss, chair of the dental school at UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2004, Dr. Strauss initiated a program to send between four and six dental students to Malawi in the summer and during the summer of 2007, was able to have dental students do a residency rotation in Malawi. Dr. Strauss would like to establish a dental clinic in Malawi that is affiliated with UNC Dental School.

According to the project’s Web site, the UNC Malawi Dental Project educates Malawian school aged children about oral health and the HIV/AIDS epidemic and provides emergency, preventive and restorative care to infected persons. The team conducts screenings, provides fluoride treatment and distributes oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, floss and toothbrushes. All expenses for the project have been met through contributions and gifts of dental supplies.

Dr. Strauss said a lack of education is one of the chief reasons for the spread of disease within a population. “In dentistry, many teeth may be lost due to lack of knowledge about oral health and the process of decay. In the AIDS epidemic, many people are unaware of the risks for transmission and infection,” he said.

For more information about Dr. Strauss's project, please visit www.dent.unc.edu/student/orgs/Malawi/Info_files/malawiprojectproposal.doc. For more information about the PAEG Toothbrush Drive, please contact Dr. Whelehan at (315) 267-2048 or whelehpe@potsdam.edu.