Can you say AHH! confidently?

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YOUR ORAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT!



Today is world oral health day! here is an article from a dental surgeon on behalf of the great Primadent Initiative

Read and enjoy..


SAY AHH: UNITE FOR MOUTH HEALTH (WOHD CAMPAIGN, 2020)



Today is World Oral Health Day, happy WOHD

Oral diseases remain the most common non-communicable diseases globally, yet the awareness for practice of good oral measures is still limited especially in low and middle income countries, and mouth health still neglected.
Hence, the World Oral Health (WHO) Day campaign is a global awareness campaign which aims at making information available on good oral hygiene practices and detriments of not doing so was hatched in 2007 and commenced officially in 2013 by the Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI). It is a day to celebrate a culmination of an annual effort to improve oral health practices.

That the mouth is an important part of our body is not in question, some might even say the gateway into the body. It is with it we eat, chew, smile, drink, speak and other social activities - none of which would have been possible. 
In 2016, WHO estimated that half of the world was affected with oral diseases; with gum disease being the most prevalent. It occurs in all countries of the world with no gender or socioeconomic status preference, though high income economies have been known to cope more with its management making them the 4th most expensive condition to manage. Hence the statement that ‘health is wealth’ is very evident and the cost of treating these diseases would be reduced if everyone practiced more preventive measures. Most oral diseases are preventable! This gives credence to the apothegm - ‘prevention is better than cure’. Toothache, edentulism, gum diseases etc. all of which affect quality of life are highly preventable.

The theme for 2020, ‘Say Ahh: Unite for Mouth Health is a reminder that no one is an island by oneself. Henry Ford rightly said: ‘coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success’. It is then a call to learn from our experiences in the past that nothing worthwhile has ever been achieved without unity, teamwork and perseverance.

The ‘body’ should not neglect the importance of the ‘mouth’ as the mouth should not neglect the importance of the teeth; the government should not neglect the oral health of its citizens as parents should not neglect the oral health of of their children and vice versa. No one should be subjected to having all their teeth replaced with artificial prosthesis like dentures when they can live long, full lives with their natural dentition. Let us collectively take a stand to prevent the preventable!
The theme helps us to embark on a promise to ourselves and our entire immediate and global community that as we pledge to take actionable steps, we must ensure we take it together with our friends, families, colleagues and the general public. It reminds us that everyone has a role to play. The dental practitioners, public and policymakers.


Oral health is a state of being free from disease having healthy gum and teeth. This is achievable with simple practices and lifestyle changes. These might include 
1. Brushing twice daily with recommended toothbrush and fluoride-containing toothpaste.
2. Flossing between teeth
3. Healthy lifestyle (avoiding tobacco/alcohol, eating more fruits/vegetables and limiting refined sugars),
4. Regular dental checkups.

Evidences have shown that some risk factors such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use which are involved in oral diseases also cause other diseases in the body such as cardiovascular disease. Hence, a practice of good oral hygiene is really a healthy life modification. After all, there can’t really be good health without oral health.

At Primadent Initiative, we have united to bring the gospel of good oral hygiene to the people who need it most with our school oral health education, promotion and intervention projects. The realization that we all have a role to play is key to realizing a world in which oral diseases will be a thing of the past most especially for a developing countries like ours.

As we celebrate today, let us begin taking our pledges to take better care of our mouth. Write it down, tell it to a friend, parents to their children, teachers to their students, wives to their husbands, dentists to the public and policy makers! We must all pledge to ourselves on feasible actions/steps we can start today to reduce the global burden of health diseases.

Say Ahh                …                                             
                                I pledge to care for my mouth
                                I pledge to brush twice daily
                                I pledge to eat healthy
                                I pledge to have regular dental checkups.
                                I pledge to avoid/limit tobacco/alcohol intake
                                I pledge to floss regularly.
                                Ciao.
                               

Written by 









Dr Chukwunonso Molokwu,
Head, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Primadent Initiative for Oral Health.


Edited BolaHealth.







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