Bleeding gum, cavities, and dental decay have been noticed among anganwadi children in the district in the course of ‘Paal Punchiri’, a project to spread awareness about oral hygiene.
Functionaries of the Malabar branch of the Indian Dental Association, which carried out the project in Feroke, Olavanna, Kadalundi and Ramanattukara grama panchayats in Kozhikode district, said on Monday that these issues were quite uncommon among children of that age. Attributing this to lack of oral hygiene among parents themselves, Mehul R. Mahesh, branch president, said that most of them didn't know how to brush properly. Members of the association held classes for parents as part of the programme on the common dental problems among children and how to manage them. The helpers and workers were briefed. A check-up camp too was held for children, he said.
Dr. Mehul said that the project had the support of the Integrated Child Development Scheme and the National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding. As many as 40 camps were held in different places and 2,500 children were covered. In the next phase, the project would be extended to other anganwadis in the district. Also, training programme for anganwadi teachers along with an oral health screening camp would be held on March 6 to mark International Dentists Day, Dr. Mehul said. The association would set up a clinic at government mental health centre, Kuthiravattam, Kozhikode, to cater to the dental care of the 500 inmates. Also, the health staff would be trained in oral hygiene through an orientation class, he added.
