The international community is observing today as Oral Health Day, it is a day set aside to raise  a year long global awareness on the issues around oral health, the importance of oral hygiene, prevention and control of oral diseases.

Correspondent Peter Uchei reports that World Oral Health Day   was declared by the World Dental Federation in 2007 and first officially celebrated in 2013.

According to experts about ninety percent  of the world population  suffer from avoidable oral diseases in their lifetime which  highlights some of the importance of dental care awareness.

 They also said   poor oral hygiene can affect the brain and lead to memory loss as  lead to gingivitis when bacteria in the mouth spread to the nerve channels or enter the bloodstream.

Speaking on the significance of the day, Dr. Chukwudima Akabogor who’s the Head of Department Dental Unit Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Awka noted that oral health is the good state of the architecture of the mouth and oral tissues as a whole.

He stated  that poor oral hygiene is the root from which all other oral health challenges grow from, noting that  negative lifestyle   also leads to poor oral health..

Lamenting on the poor state of oral health awareness in the country, Dr. Chukwudima noted that the majority of the people only visit  dentist when they already have problems stressing  that oral check-up should be done twice every year,  whether there’s a problem or not.

Dr. Chukwudima  explained  that diseases such as diabetes mellitus, mild to severe problems of the mouth could in turn lead to poor oral health.

Also speaking, Dr. Chinonye Emmauel   Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment noted that those who eat a lot of sugar are prone to oral health challenges; as sugar will soon bore holes in the teeth leading to halitosis popularly known as mouth odour.

He lamented   poor oral health services in the country and called for improvement.

Also  sharing his views a respondent Mr. Ikechukwu Odogwu noted that oral health is primarily about keeping ones mouth odourless, saying those who don’t maintain proper oral health hygiene are lazy and ignorant.

He then urged teachers and parents to sit up and ensure their wards take proper care of their mouth.

Another respondent, Mrs Nwodogwu Florence observed that proper oral health gives one self  confidence and boldness.