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 two toothbrush drives for the citizens of Malawi on Monday, Sept. 28, and Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the SUNY Potsdam Barrington Student Union.

SUNY Potsdam Peer AIDS Educators will staff these drives where 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 University of North Carolina Malawi Dental Project, the brainchild of Dr. Ronald Strauss, former chair of the dental school at UNC-Chapel Hill, who is now the UNC System provost.

The Malawi Project is a student-driven initiative that deploys select students from the UNC School of Dentistry to provide free oral healthcare services and oral HIV/AIDS education to the people of Malawi.

Under the guidance of Dr. Jessie Mlotha, current head of the dental department at Kamuzu Central Hospital, and Drs. Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque and Janet H. Southerland, UNC School of Dentistry faculty advisers, the dental student group receives training both at UNC and abroad then performs dental cleanings, dental fillings, oral hygiene instruction and extractions at hospitals, remote villages and schools in several sectors of the country.

The students spend up to three weeks in Malawi and are responsible for raising funds for the trip, which is entirely funded by private donations, as well as gathering much-needed supplies to take with them on the trip, such as masks, gloves, toothbrushes, toothpaste, treats for the children and other dental materials.

The Malawi Project is jointly sponsored by the UNC School of Dentistry and the Old North State Dental Society.

For more information about the UNC-Chapel Hill project, contact Dr. Webster-Cyriaque at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Dr. Southerland at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For more information about the PAEG Toothbrush Drive, please contact Dr. Whelehan at (315) 267-2048 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .