An awareness programme on oral hygiene was conducted at Greenwood Higher Secondary School, Dimapur under 2016’s World Oral Health Day (WOHD) theme, “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body” with Dr. Meyisenla Angh as the resource person.
Basing on this theme, Dr Angh said, the mouth is the gateway to the body and therefore good health begins with healthy mouth.
Adding that tooth decay, gum disease or infections can lead to a variety of ailments Dr Angh said those problems can also be hidden signs of nutritional deficiencies or general infections for example systemic diseases those that affect the entire body such as diabetes.
With the help of a power point, Dr Angh deliberated on preventive measures for good oral hygiene which includes: brushing twice a day, limit sugar, soda, coffee and alcohol intake, floss once daily, avoid tobacco, consume calcium and vitamin that is good for the body, use mouth was alongside brushing and flossing, cleaning the tongue and visiting dentists on a regular basis.
Drawing on the dangers an unhealthy oral may lead to, Dr Angh explained that diseases like- heart problems, mouth cancer, diabetes, gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath, dental decay, lung conditions, stroke etc were directly linked to oral health.
And explaining the reason why WOHD was celebrated, Dr Angh said, it was to celebrate the benefits of a healthy mouth and to promote worldwide awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene and looking after the oral health of every old and young.
An oral screening test was conducted on a good number of the participating students most of whom were found to be having problems like cavities, gingivitis, tooth decay etc.
It may be mentioned here that, The World Oral Health Day (WOHD) falls on March 20 annually and this year over one million dentists from 200 organizations based in 130 countries across the globe are expected to join together with FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) to celebrate World Oral Health Day, turning the global spotlight to the importance of maintaining good oral health.
Already, over 40 countries from across five continents have recorded their pledge to help improve oral health across the globe and reveal what good oral health means to them. These pledges, containing practical oral care advice, are available to view on the World Oral Health Day website in order to inspire and encourage others to improve their oral care regime.
It has been found that oral diseases affect 3.9 billion people worldwide, with between 60% and 90% of children globally suffering from tooth decay. Yet there is a lack of understanding of the key role that oral health plays in our overall health; simple steps such as brushing twice daily for two minutes, needs to be integrated into all our oral care routines. World Oral Health Day is a fantastic opportunity for the dental community to make a real difference in the state of oral health across the globe, said a renowned dentist.