OSHAKATI -The ministry of health in Oshana yesterday kicked off its weeklong oral health campaign.
The campaign aims to provide oral health education and free screening to members of the public in various areas in the region.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, a dentist and intern curator at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital Dr Elizabeth Hausiku-Elago, said the dental fraternity is crippled by challenges, which are hampering the effective delivery of oral health to the community. Hausiku-Elago said some of the challenges include dental health chairs that are not fully functional. She further added that there are also limited dental surgery assistants to fully implement the practice of four-handed dentistry.
Another challenge of concern, Hausiku-Elago said is limited space to accommodate the incoming graduates and human resource to carry out the duties.
She stressed that there is also an urgent need to expand the dental unit into different departments.
“All these challenges faced in the dental unit are compromising the effective delivery of oral health to the community,” Hausiku-Elago said.
The campaign, which ends this Friday with the screening of inmates at the Oluno Correctional facility, is joined by dentists from Omusati, Oshikoto and Ohangwena.
This year’s oral health week is being celebrated under the theme ‘Be proud of your mouth for your happiness and wellbeing’.
Also speaking at the event, chief regional dentist Sakaria Mwiiyale said oral health is a significant component of general health. He added that oral conditions affect mastication, speech and physical appearance with more or less apparent nutritional, social and psychological implications. “Absence of diseases and optimal functioning of the mouth and its tissues assure the highest level of self-esteem,” Mwiiyale said further. He said most oral diseases are preventable. Whilst encouraging good oral health practices, the chief regional dentist said oral education includes daily cleaning of teeth using modern or traditional measures and dietary control of refined carbohydrates.
* Nuusita Ashipala is an information officer at MICT Oshana.