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Dr. Matilda Mtaya Mlangwa (Senior Lecturer)
I am a distinguished Tanzanian academic, dental specialist, researcher, and university leader with more than two decades of experience in higher education, clinical practice, research, institutional governance, and health systems development. I have served as a Dean of the School of Dentistry at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), where I provided strategic leadership in academic excellence, research, postgraduate education, institutional transformation, and international collaboration. I earned my Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Dar es Salaam/Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (UDSM–MUCHS), followed by a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Bergen, Norway. Further, I pursued a post-doctoral program in collaboration with the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. My doctoral research focused on malocclusion and oral health-related quality of life among Tanzanian schoolchildren, establishing me as one of the region's leading scholars in research related to orthodontics and public oral health. My post-doctoral research focused on matters pertaining to congenital oro-facial clefts among Tanzanian children. Throughout my academic career, I have combined excellence in teaching, research, mentorship, and university administration. I have supervised numerous postgraduate students, examined master's dissertations, and contributed significantly to curriculum development and postgraduate training in issues related to orthodontics and community dentistry. My research portfolio includes more than thirty peer-reviewed scientific publications in reputable international journals, with major contributions in orthodontics, craniofacial anomalies, oral epidemiology, oral health-related quality of life, dental education, and health systems research. As Dean, I played a pivotal role in strengthening governance, expanding academic programmes, promoting research and innovation, enhancing quality assurance systems, and advancing strategic partnerships with national and international institutions. I served on several key university committees, including the University Senate, the Appointments and Human Resource Management Committee, the School Board, research and grants committees, and institutional review bodies. My leadership has contributed significantly to the continued growth and transformation of dental education and oral health services in Tanzania. I have actively represented Tanzania and MUHAS at numerous international scientific conferences, research collaborations, and professional exchanges across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. I am a member of several professional organizations, including the Tanzania Dental Association (TDA), the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT), the Medical Women Association of Tanzania (MEWATA), the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and the Medical Women's International Association (MWIA), where I have also held leadership positions. My professional achievements have been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the MUHAS Best Academician Award, Departmental best worker award, and an international Outstanding Scientific Presentation Award from the Medical Women's International Association, and a competitive international postdoctoral research award supporting innovative research on craniofacial disorders. I am widely respected for my strategic leadership, commitment to academic excellence, evidence-based decision-making, institutional governance, mentorship of emerging health professionals, and dedication to advancing oral health, higher education, and health research in Tanzania and across the region.
Dr. Matilda Mtaya Mlangwa's research focuses on advancing oral health through multidisciplinary, translational, and population-based research. My primary areas of interest include orthodontics and dentofacial anomalies, oral epidemiology, craniofacial disorders, oral health-related quality of life, public oral health, maternal newborn and child health, general public health, health systems, and health professions education. I have conducted extensive research on malocclusion, early orthodontic treatment needs, public health, dental caries, oral health behaviours, psychosocial impacts of oral conditions, cleft lip and palate, and access to quality oral healthcare among diverse populations, including children and vulnerable groups.
My research integrates clinical dentistry and community health with public health approaches to generate evidence that can inform policies, improves patient care, and strengthens oral health systems in Tanzania and beyond. I have successfully led and collaborated in nationally and internationally funded research projects involving institutions in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, resulting in more than thirty peer-reviewed scientific publications in high-impact journals.
Currently, I am actively engaged in research on congenital orofacial clefts, oral microbiome and oesophageal cancer, national oral health surveillance, temporomandibular disorders, determinants of tooth-retaining treatment, sickle cell-related oral health, and preventive orthodontics. I am also committed to postgraduate research training, mentoring master's and doctoral candidates, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations, and translating research findings into evidence-based clinical practice, issues on health policy, and academic programme development. My research continues to contribute to improving oral health outcomes, strengthening institutional research capacity, and advancing dental education in Tanzania and the wider region.
1. Non-nutritive sucking habits in Tanzanian children (developing a new proposal).
2. Congenital oro-facial clefts-distribution and quality of life (2 years, and a new proposal being developed).
3. National oral health survey (One year).
4. The influence of oral health and specifically the oral microbiome on ESCC risk and its influences on the esophageal macro- and the tumor microenvironment (proposal drafted).
5. The prevalence of clinical Temporal Mandibular Disorders and associated factors (One year).
6. Determinants of provision and utilization of tooth fillings in a low-income settings (One year).
7. Craniofacial skeletal profile of the Tanzanian population (one year).
8. Oral health conditions and Sickle cell disease (developing a new proposal).
9. Oral hygiene status among orthodontic patients in Tanzania (one year).
1. Mlangwa MM, Matiko MM, Machibya FM, Njiro BJ, Frank W, Sang’udi S, Ngowi JE,
Amani DE, Sunguya BF. Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in the Initial Phase of
Orthodontic Treatment in a Tanzanian Population. European Annals of Dental Sciences. 2026;53(1): 29-34. doi : 10.52037/eads.2026.0006
2. Mtaya M, Rwekaza GJ, Amani DE, WhiteFrank Frank W, Kitambala E, Ngowi J,
Sang’udi S, Njiro B and Sunguya B. Malocclusion and dental services utilization:
Prevalence and associated factors among school children in Tanzania. European Annals of Dental Sciences. 2025, 52(3), pp.161-167. doi : 10.52037/eads.2025.0024
3. Mbawalla HS, Nyamuryekung’e KK, Mlangwa MM and Masalu JR. Prevalence of
Dental Caries, Fluorosis, Trauma, Gingivitis, and Malocclusion on Adolescents' Oral Health-Related Quality of Life - A Tanzania National Survey. International Journal of Dentistry. 2026; 2026:9927578. https://doi.org/10.1155/ijod/9927578
4. Matiko MM, Mlangwa MM, Machibya F. Prevalence and intensity of pain experienced in the initial phase of fixed orthodontic appliance treatment in Tanzanians. Ghana Dental Journal. 2026, 22(1), 11–16. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gdj/article/view/312749
5. Machibya FM, Daniel EL and Mlangwa MM. Bolton’s tooth width discrepancies among Orthodontic patients in a Tanzanian Population. Mansoura Journal of Dentistry. 2025, 12(4), p.4. https://doi.org/10.61793/2812-5479.1168
