World Oral Health Day: Jigawa pupils get free oral health tips

The Jigawa chapter of the Nigerian Dental Therapists Association (NDTA), on Tuesday, offered free dental instructions to more than 400 pupils of Fagoji Primary School, Dutse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the free dental instructions were part of activities by the association to celebrate this year’s World Oral Health Day in the state.

Mr Awwalu Muhammad, the NDTA Chairman, who led a group of dentists from Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital, told NAN that they were in the school to educate the pupils on how best to take care of their teeth.

Muhammad advised the pupils to wash their mouth twice a day — before eating in the morning and when going to bed at night.

The dentist also advised pupils to always rinse their mouth after eating food and sweet things, particularly candies and biscuits, because part of the food remains in one’s teeth and gradually damage it.

He further cautioned the pupils against licking sweets before going to bed.

He said “I know you lick sweets, so my advice is that make sure you rinse your mouth after you finish the sweet.

“But for those of you who are in the habit of sleeping with sweets in your mouth, I strongly warn you to stop that or else you damage all your teeth.

“So, don’t take or eat juices, banana, chocolate and all other sweet things without thoroughly rinsing your mouth after.

“Also, when your parents are buying toothpaste and brush for you, tell them to buy soft brush and toothpaste that contains fluoride in it.”

The dentists had demonstrated to the pupils how best to clean their teeth — vertically not horizontally.

The association also distributed free toothpaste and brushes to some pupils who correctly answered questions about general oral health.

The school’s Health Master, Malam Salisu Haruna, commended the association for the gesture and for selecting the school for the exercise.

Haruna said it would go a long way in educating the pupils to know how best to take proper care of their health.

The association had on March 20, offered free treatment, teeth washing, oral health instructions, oral check, refilling, case management and pieces of advice to over 300 people at the Rasheed Shekoni Hospital.