What We Do 

At Dental Capacity, we’re committed to growing access to dental education in every African country to solve the oral health crisis. We believe it all starts with investing in people.

When you train one dentist, you change thousands of lives. 
But when you train a dental educator, the impact multiplies more than you can imagine. 

A single educator may spend their career training 1,000 dentists. 
Each of those dentists will care for roughly 30,000 people over their lifetime.  
Over the course of a lifetime, one educator can indirectly improve oral health for millions. 

That is why Dental Capacity invests in people who teach: because when you build educators, you build systems that last. 

Without national dental schools, countries cannot train the professionals they need. Dental Capacity exists to change this — to make quality dental education accessible in every African country.  

The reality is,

Africa cannot build healthy futures without dentists.

Across Africa, millions of people live without access to safe, reliable dental care. The root cause is a shortage of qualified dentists and the schools needed to train them. This leaves entire populations vulnerable to preventable oral disease, lifelong pain, malnutrition, and infection. Poor oral health also worsens major conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and maternal health outcomes.

An approach focused on
sustainability and partnership

  • Partnership and shared responsibility are core to Dental Capacity’s foundation. Without engagement from national oral healthcare and academic leaders, programs won’t be sustainable or effective. We invest in dental educators and academic leaders by supporting training programs, exchange initiatives, and continuous professional growth, ensuring that dental schools are led by skilled, qualified, and inspired faculty. 

    Together, we evaluate what is working effectively, identify areas of need, and determine where we can strengthen capacity. From there, we develop a plan for sustainable change, incorporating mentorship and collaboration as local leaders guide the future of care. 

    We support program development at dental schools by strengthening curricula, advancing competency-based training, and aligning education with evolving population health needs. Through investments in research and innovation, we help institutions generate evidence, refine clinical practice, and build sustainable models for academic excellence. 

  • Dental Capacity is focused on investing in people. We support aspiring dental students through financial aid, mentorship, and coaching, expanding access to quality education for those with the passion and potential to serve as future dental educators.  

     This often involves sponsoring students’ dental specializations, including arranging for placement at an institution where they can obtain further education, covering housing and travel costs, and ensuring the student is set up for success through the completion of their degree. We intentionally work with students who are committed to returning to their home countries and being part of the long-term solution by becoming practitioners as well as academics. 

    Depending on the need, our involvement may also include skills and language training to ensure students are equipped to excel. 

  • We know that transformation doesn’t happen overnight – and it looks different for every institution and nation. Through targeted investments, we help institutions develop the infrastructure, technology, and training spaces needed to deliver high-quality, experiential dental education that prepares students for clinical excellence and professional readiness. 

    Every dental school needs a dental clinic to support training because practical, hands-on experience is essential for developing competent, independent oral health professionals. Experiential learning and patient interaction are non-negotiable components of professional education.  

    This often starts with renovating existing dental schools or building new ones. We work with corporate partners across the world to outfit these institutions with simulation equipment, practical training and long-term academic partnerships.

  • Dental Capacity champions policies and partnerships that elevate dental education as a public health priority, amplifying African voices in shaping a stronger, more equitable oral health future. 

    We support developing a continent-wide platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and advocacy, helping networks like the African Dental Education Association (AEDA) thrive. In 2025, Dental Capacity was a sponsor for Africa’s first dental education symposium and founder Dr. David Ugai became a founding board member of AEDA, created at the symposium’s conclusion. 

    Together, this approach creates sustainable, systemic change so every country can educate and retain its dental workforce. 

The impact is already real

Dental Capacity is building momentum and meaningful progress:

Student Sponsorships

Sponsored students in English training and oral health specializations, including pediatric dentistry, dental assisting, and public health, across Ghana, Morocco, Benin and Ivory Coast. These students will return to their home countries to strengthen care and education. 

Institutional Strengthening

Contributed toward the African Dental Education Symposium, which led to founder David Ugai co-creating the African Dental Education Association (AEDA). The first of its kind in Africa, AEDA is a key continent-wide network advocating for stronger dental academic programs. 

Partnerships

Established collaborations with dental school deans, ministries of health, and NGOs across the continent.