Rotary Clubs of Iyaganku-Ibadan, RC Darwen provide free dental care to over 350 Ibadan children

No fewer than 350 children benefited from a free dental care outreach organised by the Rotary Club of Iyaganku-Ibadan, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Darwen, England.

The outreach, aimed at improving oral health awareness among children, featured a wide range of dental services including dental health education, oral examination, counselling, scaling and polishing, dental fillings and restorations, among others.

Speaking at the programme, the President of the Rotary Club of Iyaganku-Ibadan, Dr Olubunmi Oni, said the initiative was introduced by a member of the club, Jessica Ebirim and has continued to grow stronger each year.

“This programme started four years ago and has benefitted children aged 1-16 years in our community. “This year alone, we registered over 350 children,” Oni said.

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She explained that the dental mission was designed to address the poor attention given to oral health in Nigeria.

“For three consecutive years, we have organised this dental mission because we know that dental health is one of the most poorly attended-to areas in our society. There is low awareness and a lot of misconceptions about dental health and oral care,” she noted.

According to her, the club decided to enhance this year’s edition by adding a Father Christmas Grotto, allowing children to enjoy the festive atmosphere while receiving professional dental care.

“This year’s programme is more interesting because, in addition to dental care, we introduced a Father Christmas Grotto. As the children are being attended to, they also get to enjoy the festive season and receive free gifts directly from Father Christmas,” she added.

One of the parents, Mrs Bola Olayiwola, who spoke during the outreach, commended the Rotary Clubs for their initiative, describing it as a major relief for families.

“This programme has really helped us. It has saved me the cost of taking my child to the dentist, which is usually expensive,” she said.

The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the annual dental outreach as part of Rotary’s humanitarian service to the community.