7 News Belize

All Smiles For Dental Health
posted (October 24, 2014)
Today marks the end of Dental health week and to conclude the activities the Ministry of Health held a Dental Health Fair today at the Central Health Region Compound under the theme "Belizeans Big-up your smile, it reflects your style." It was all about educating the students about developing good cleansing habits to prolong the strength and health of teeth and gums. Courtney Weatherburne found out more:..

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Everybody wants a clean mouth and a bright smile but many people don't take the necessary steps to keep their mouth clean.

So the health department held a Dental Health Fair today to reinforce dental health best practices

Dr. Raphael Samos, Senior Dental Surgeon, Ministry of health
"Dental Week is celebrated countrywide under the theme "Belizeans big up your smile, it reflects your style." It sound catchy right. It's a week of awareness that we do countrywide. Each region has their own sets of activity that they carry out from tooth brushing drills to radio talk shows, give out incentive gifts and the idea is to create awareness of the importance of dental and oral hygiene."

Brushing and flossing is only one aspect of the full package, there are also the visits to the dentist that many people loathe. But with these regular visits, you can avoid a whole lot of, in this case, 'toothache'.

Dr. Jonathan Diaz, Dental Surgeon, Cleopatra White
"I do see that as a trend. I do see that the main thing they always come to is extractions; "it hurts, I want to take it out, I don't want to deal with it, I don't want filling or anything." But then that's why we are here, that's what this fair is about to give them that knowledge that you could actually do something else than just taking it out. They could actually prevent you from a lot of chaos, lots of problems."

And these students want to avoid those problems in the future by taking care of their teeth now

Keyshawn Bradley, Wesley Upper
"Miss I definitely like to brush my teeth because some of my cousins don't like to do it. I would do it, I would get up every morning to brush my teeth."

Damia Aranda, Wesley Upper School
"Listerine helps wash away 75% of germs, but you have to brush your teeth and floss it too, give it a total mouth cleaning. I see the importance because I don't want to get oral cancer and those stuff, but sometimes when it's cold my mother has to remind me to brush my teeth."

Adrianna Carcamo, Wesley Upper School
"That how you floss and uses Listerine."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So did you know all that information before you came here today?"

Adrianna Carcamo, Wesley Upper School
"Yes ma'am."

And in order to ensure that these students are actually taking care of their teeth, health officials have organized a dental health campaign for schools.

Dr. Raphael Samos, Senior Dental Surgeon, Ministry of health
"One of the programs which we have is going out to the primary schools itself and actually doing the dental education there as opposed to in the past we use to wait for them to come, now we go out there and not only in the city and different towns, but we go into rural areas of each district, so we have a mobile outreach program that we cater for and we carry out at least twice a month."

In connection with Dental Health week, all teachers from 5 schools received free dental cleaning from Monday to Friday. The Old Nursing School, Matron Roberts as well as Cleopatra White provide dental services in Belize.

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