CELEBRATION OF - WORLD ORAL HEALTH DAY 2015.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY

SAVEETHA DENTAL COLLEGE- SAVEETHA UNIVERSITY  

CELEBRATION OF -

WORLD ORAL HEALTH DAY,

20^TH MARCH 2015.   
                

“WORLD ORAL HEALTH DAY 2015, SMILE FOR LIFE”

A month long program was initiated to commemorate  “world oral health day 2015” at various schools, work place, old age homes and prison inmates covering a total population of 3225. 

Our objective was to

• To increase the public awareness of various causes and prevention of dental diseases

·  To provide detail knowledge of getting prevented from various oral diseases and their complications.

• To encourage most vulnerable group of people to frequently check their oral health status and follow medications from the professionals.
• To promote self care among people.
• To teach school children and send them a messages about how improve oral health.

On 1 st march Geriatric oral health care program was conducted at  Swagatham Foundation , Home For Senior Citizen, Amuthurmedu Village.  The aim was to help 43 geriatric people to understand the cause, symptoms and conditions of dental problems as well as ways to improve oral health .

On 8th march, Sunday with the aim to raise public awareness about oral hygiene and resolving important issues such as tooth decay and cavities, plaque, tartar, bruxium, gum disease, wisdom teeth issues, dry mouth and bad breath a One day Rural Oral Health Programme was conducted at Pattabiram  were 53 residents actively participated and benefited.  

From 9^th to 16^th March 2015 School oral health Programme was organized at 35 Government Primary Schools for 2942 school children at  Nemam, Thirumalizhi, Poonamallee, Thiruniravur and Sorrenchery suburbs of Chennai, located in Thiruvallur district of TamilNadu to impart awareness about good oral habits among children in the age-groups between 9 to 14 years. The major focus was on inculcating proper oral health behavior.  We spread the message of how brushing twice a day with toothpaste can play a significant role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease.  Free dental check-ups, distribution of samples of toothpaste and toothbrushes as well as educational leaflets and posters and large-scale community- based oral health camps were organized.

A special Oral health care program was  organized on 14 th march at Central Prison , Puzhal as a drive for behavioral change and inculcate good oral habits among prison inmates . Free dental screening and treatment was carried out for 87 inmates as they do not have access to dentist on a regular basis. The project is supported by Government of Tamil Nadu . Prison Department .

Saveetha Dental college concluded the WOHD 2015 on 20^th march by conducting a one day Oral Cancer Awareness Program targeting  Harsha Toyota, velappanchavadi  employees at their work place. Oral health education and ill effects of tobacco along with Anti tobacco counseling was imparted to the 100 employees via lecture and demonstration, audio visual presentations. Free treatment cards were distributed and referred to Department of Public Health Dentistry for further management.

We generate the knowledge that oral health is linked to overall health.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FDI designated March 20 each year as World Oral Health Day and called on the dental profession and community groups to hold events on that day for improving oral health and care awareness in the community. The theme of World Oral Health Day this year is "Smile for life" which aims to remind people that they should pay attention to oral health from an early age and prevent oral disease for lifelong oral health and a beautiful smile.

-----------------------------------------------

Oral healthcare in India

India's oral healthcare status demonstrates a great need for better education and more accessible services. 

The National Oral Health Programme notes that 95% of adults in India suffer from gum disease and 50% of our citizens don't use a toothbrush. The program also finds that 70% of children under the age of 15 have dental caries.

According to a 2013 report, "Utilization of dental care: An Indian outlook," published in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine, the dentist-to-population ratio is 1:10,000 in urban areas but drops drastically to 1:150,000 in rural India.

 The report further notes that even in areas where the infrastructure for dental care exists, the utilization of services can still remain low due to demographic, behavioural, socio-economic, cultural and epidemiological factors. Among these factors are fear of dental treatment and attitudes that assign lower importance to oral health. These factors indicate the need for greater education on the advancements that have made pain-managed dentistry more common and widely available. The general complacency toward oral health also highlights the need for better education on the link between oral health and general health.