Faculty members and resident doctors with patients at World Oral Health Day at AMU. Source: Website
To mark the World Oral Health Day at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Dental College (ZADC) in collaboration with the department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), conducted an oral health awareness programme on the theme, ‘Be Proud of Your Mouth’ for the patients of Rural Health Training Centre at Jawan.
Neha Agarwal, Dr Pramod K Yadav and Dr Syed Aman Ali briefed the patients about the importance of oral hygiene and oral care.
Anees Ahmed, chairman, and Uzma Eram, incharge RHTC, inaugurated and coordinated the programme. The interns from the dental college presented a Nukkad Natak (skit) focusing on the common dental problems prevailing in the community. They also explained the proper method of brushing teeth.
The event concluded with the distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste to the patients. The event was attended by Dr Saleem (SR), Dr Sameena (SR), Dr Danish, Dr Jabir, Dr Althaf (JR1s) from the department of Community Medicine, JNMC and the interns from Dental College – Dr Wazahat Ibrahim, Dr Ashraf Khan, Dr Ayushi Kejriwal, Dr Abeer Aftab, Dr Ansari Munazza.
An oral health camp of the department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry in collaboration with the ‘Smile and Shine Foundation’ was also held on the occasion at the Savio Navjeevan Bal Bhawan – St Fidelis, Aligarh—in which the ZADC dentists provided free dental care to abandoned, homeless and orphaned children and other people from the lower economic strata.
Dentists attended to a total of 54 people including 33 children in the health camp. Children also engaged in a drawing contest on the Oral Health Day theme and skits were performed to raise awareness.
Dentists screened the children for dental caries and periodontal diseases besides providing the counseling to the child patients with Down Syndrome, deafness and blindness said Rajendra Kumar Tewari, principal, ZADC, stressing that this campaign is aimed at raising awareness on the implementation of necessary steps to prevent oral diseases. He pointed out, ZADC dentists will continue with follow ups on the dental care of these children.
The professors and dentists present pressed for the need of regular dental check-ups and awareness campaigns for the benefit of the underprivileged children with dental health issues.