This year the Dental Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Social Services will head to the Castle Bruce Health District as the Unit observes Oral Health Week 2019 from June 2nd to June 7, 2019.
The main activity will be a School rally at the Castle Bruce playing field with the schools from the North Eastern, South Eastern and Eastern districts.
The Dental Unit is observing Oral Health Week under the theme “SAY AH! Think Mouth, Think Health”, with the aim of highlighting and raising the awareness of the importance of good oral health practices and oral hygiene.
Oral health is one of the main pillars of general health and well-being. It is much more than just the mouth, teeth and gums. According to the World Dental Federation, “Oral health includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and diseases to the craniofacial complex”.
Oral diseases and other NCDs are closely linked and share risk factors, including unhealthy and high-sugar diets, tobacco use and alcohol consumption.
Results emerging from an Oral Health Survey conducted in 2016, by the Dental Health Unit have shown that the status of oral health in Dominica’s population is alarming and proves that people need to be more aware and responsible for their oral health. It was observed that the burden of oral disease particularly caries and gum disease is severe.
The survey was conducted among children aged 6, 12 and 15, adolescents 16 to 19 and adults 35 to 44 and 65-74 . The survey revealed that dental caries is prevalent among the various age groups. About 55. % of the 6-year-olds had DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth). One-third of the 12-year-olds had dental caries, of these 31.3% had decays with almost all untreated. 58.8% of 15-year-olds had decay and 47.6% were untreated. 63.1% or 2/3 of the 16 to 19-year-olds had dental caries and 48.6% had untreated lesions. Over 90% of adults 35 to 44 years had dental caries and about 65.8% had untreated lesions. 95.6% of 65 to 74 years had dental caries and 65.9% had untreated lesions.
“This is an indication that as the age increases, so does the incidents of caries and missing teeth stated Chief Dental Officer”, Dr. Idaline John.
To mitigate the situation the Dental Unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has embarked on a vigorous campaign in the School Dental Program which begun in the Castle Bruce Health District and will continue in all of the primary schools on the island. The main objective is to ensure that all the students within the school districts beginning from grade 6 to grade K are free of caries.
The government continues to invest significantly in the provision of Oral health care services to the public by procuring the necessary materials and equipment to ensure that services are available and accessible to all. This year the government has budgeted EC$85,000 dollars for dental equipment.
The Unit is expecting to obtain two mobile units to provide treatment onsite (in the schools) with two or three operators providing service at once.
The services provided to the public by the Ministry of Health and Social Services through its Dental Health Unit include; prophylaxis (cleanings), restorations (fillings), extractions and X-rays. Treatments are free for children 0-18 and adults 60 years and over. Fire Officers, Police Officers, Nurses, and Prison Inmates are also exempted from payment.
Activities for Oral Health Week begins on Sunday with a church service at the St. Martin de Pores Chapel in Canefield. The activities continue on Monday with a clinical day at the Castle Bruce Health Centre; Tuesday there will be educational talks at the Roseau Health Centre and an exhibition outside of the Jolly’s Pharmacy; on Wednesday there will be another clinical day at the Salybia Health Centre; a walk-through in the villages of Petit Soufriere, San Sauveur, Good Hope, Morpo, Tranto and Depax on Thursday, and will culminate on Friday with a rally with students from the North- Eastern, Eastern and South-Eastern schools.
In observance of Oral Health Week, the Dental Unit of the Ministry of Health and Social Services presents you with a few oral health tips:
- Brush at least twice a day
- Floss once a day
- To avoid bad breath, brush your tongue regularly
- Visit your dentist every six (6) months
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- Remember to stay hydrated
Diabetics
- Be aware of poor hygiene
- A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth
- Prevent plaque build-up which leads to gum disease
- Be mindful of the bacteria in your mouth that thrives on sugar which affects your overall health
- Remember diabetics are prone to gum disease, therefore, prevention is key. Visit your dentist regularly.
Schedule of the Activities
All activities begins from 9:00 am
- Sunday June 2nd Church Service- Martin de Pores Catholic Church, Canefield
- Monday June 3rd Opening Address – Minister of Health and Environment Clinical Castle Bruce District
- Tuesday June 4th Exhibition at Jolly’s Pharmacy, Roseau Awareness Day
- Wednesday June 5th District Outreach Day/ Salybia Clinical Day & Exhibition
- Thursday June 6th Walk Through Castle Bruce District (Good Hope, San Sauveur, Petite Soufriere, Tranto-Depax)
- Friday June 7th Oral Health Rally in Castle Bruce with Schools from the North Eastern, Eastern and South Eastern Districts.
