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… Marks Year 2022 World Oral Day
The Head of Dental Department of the General Hospital, Ijede, Dr. Abdulkabir Muhammed, has charged Lagosians to embrace oral hygiene in order to prevent diseases that affect individuals and health systems.
Dr. Muhammed, speaking on the commemoration of the World Oral Health Day with the theme: “Be Proud of Your Mouth”, described oral hygiene as the practice of keeping the mouth clean and disease-free through good hygiene practices.
He explained that poor oral hygiene is tantamount to the total neglect or lack of good care of the mouth, stressing that carelessness with the mouth will inadvertently lead to undesirable consequences such as dental cavities, gum disease, teeth discolouration, bad breath, tooth loss, increased risk of heart disease and risk of suffering from potential loss of memory.
“Poor oral hygiene could also lead to the risk of suffering from acute bronchitis and chronic pneumonia, increased risk of diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, infertility, and premature birth amongst others”, the HOD added.
In preventing poor oral hygiene, Dr. Muhammed emphasised the need to brush the teeth with the right toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste twice daily; use dental floss and interdental brushes to clean the space between the teeth; visit the Dental Clinic for regular checks; scaling and polishing (professional cleaning) twice a year; eating a balanced diet and avoiding foods that contain refined sugar, especially in sticky forms.
World Oral Health Day is a global observance holiday celebrated annually on March 20. The day was created to spread awareness about good oral hygiene.
