The children and students demonstrating how to brush their teeth
Pupils from over 30 basic schools in the Greater Accra Region have pledged to brush their teeth twice a day, first in the morning and before going to bed.
The children gave their word to ensure their parents and guardians also join them in their promise to brush their teeth twice daily.
This commitment of brushing two times daily was made by the pupils at this year’s commemoration of World Oral Health Day, themed ‘Live Mouth Smart-Brush Day and Night’.
They were joined by officials of Unilever, through its oral health brand Pepsodent, organisers of the programme, dentists from the Ghana Dental Association and traditional leaders to send the important message of good oral health to all.
Yeo Ziobeieton, Managing Director, Unilever Ghana, in his remarks painted a gory picture of the country’s oral health, indicating that in Ghana alone, 96 percent of adults within the ages of 35-44 years are affected by periodontal diseases, while 40 percent of 12 year olds suffer from decayed, missing teeth, stained teeth and bad breath.
“We also know that among children, toothache causes absenteeism in school, and impacts academic progress, learning, social interaction and growth. These damning statistics should certainly give us cause for worry,” he added.
Mr Ziobeieton explained that the global company through its flagship product – Pepsodent- contains fluoride to address the absence of dental care in the population.
“Our award-winning Pepsodent ‘brush day and night’ campaign in schools has reached over 7.5 million children and adults, and we continue to invest in more of such initiatives because we are committed to protecting the Ghanaian smile for a lifetime,” he added.
Dr Paapa Puplampu, Vice President of the Ghana Dental Association, took the children through the various steps in brushing the teeth, stressing that it should not take less than three minutes for an individual to finish brushing.
He also called for regular flossing of the teeth and visits to the dentist, at least once a year.
Minister of Health Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, in a speech read on his behalf, encouraged Ghanaians to take oral health seriously, as it goes a long way in supporting a healthy lifestyle.
He also commended oral health practitioners and Unilever Ghana for the effort put into the various educational initiatives aimed at improving oral healthcare delivery in the country.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri