Professional Evaluation of Dental Implant Service Accessibility in North West Nigeria

Dental implant therapy is increasingly recognised as the gold standard for tooth replacement, yet its accessibility in North West Nigeria is critically limited, and evaluating current provision informs both policy and professional training investment. This study evaluated dental implant service accessibility in Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, and Jigawa States, North West Nigeria. A mixed evaluation methodology was applied, combining a facility survey of all registered dental centres with a questionnaire survey of 95 dental practitioners in the zone and a patient affordability and awareness survey of 400 adults. Evaluation dimensions covered implantology specialist availability, equipment and materials supply, NHIA reimbursement status, patient awareness, and cost. Only 3 of 24 surveyed dental centres offered any implant service, all based in Kano and Kaduna. Implantology specialist training had been completed by 6.3 percent of surveyed dentists. The mean quoted cost for a single implant was N450,000, beyond reach for 91.5 percent of survey respondents. NHIA did not cover dental implants in any scheme reviewed. Awareness of dental implants as a tooth replacement option was present in only 23.8 percent of adults surveyed. The study concludes that implant dental services are essentially inaccessible for the majority of North West Nigerians. Recommendations include postgraduate implantology training expansion through Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, government facility equipment grant, and advocacy for a phased NHIA implant benefit coverage pilot.

Keywords: dental implants, service accessibility, North West Nigeria, implantology, tooth replacement