The Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Dental Association is has concluded arrangements to hold a health walk in conjunction with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) to mark this year’s the World Oral Health Day (WOHD).
The walk is an awareness walk where a train of dental health professionals, students and friends will be formed through the entire stretch of Ikorodu road.
In the past, the World Oral Health Day (WOHD) has been celebrated through several activities; last year, a city-wide oral health discounting was done in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and the private dental clinics which yielded savings for patients and families.
The Lagos NDA says its goal is to ensure continuous reach-out to patients and providers. “We want our professional colleagues to get the best out of their passion for dentistry.
“We also want patients to get the best out of life through great smiles and excellent oral health,” say the president of the association, Opeyemi Okoisor, a consultant dentist and chairperson, NDA Lagos State chapter
Okoisor added that “everyone loves a person with a beautiful smile. Taking regular care of your teeth gives you a smile that can last a life time. This year’s WOHD is a good opportunity for citizens of Lagos to visit their dentist and have their teeth looked at,” she stressed.
Oral health is a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the oral cavity.
According to a report by WHO, worldwide, 60–90 percent of school children and nearly 100 percent of adults have dental cavities and dental cavities can be prevented by maintaining a constant low level of fluoride in the oral cavity.
Severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, is found in 15–20 percent of middle-aged (35-44 years) adults and globally, about 30 percent of people aged 65–74 have no natural teeth.
This year, the world is saying “Smile for life!” The goal is to remind people of reasons to live a happy life and why oral health is important in everyone’s natural expression of happiness. There cannot be a great smile without sound oral health.
The Nigerian Dental Association is the professional body of dentists in Lagos, Nigeria and since inception, it has worked through several advocacy initiatives to improve the quality of oral healthcare that is the attainable across Nigeria.
For Lateefat Agbaje, a consultant dentist and immediate past chairperson, NDA Lagos, “dentistry in Nigeria has a long way to go. People need to know that their teeth have a direct link to their overall health. It is interesting to know that people are getting more interested in oral health and that is what WOHD seeks to promote,” says Lateefat.
Adding her voice to the significance of WOHD, Bimbo Oyedokun, executive director, business development, QuePlus Health Services, Lagos and general secretary, NDA Lagos State, says “World Oral Health Day serves as another reminder of the need to improve access to care for the teeming population of our country, especially in terms of financing. This year’s theme ‘Smile for Life’ also reminds us that oral health is relevant across all ages and stages of life.”
Kemi Ajumobi
