What is oral health?

By Daily News Reporter

IN today’s article we are going to discuss oral health and its negative impact on a human being.

Last week, being an oral health week, I took time to research on oral health and I learnt something which I thought is very important to share with you my esteemed readers of this column. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), oral health refers to the health of the teeth, gums, and the entire oral-facial system that allows us to smile, speak, and chew.

Some of the most common diseases that impact our oral health include cavities (tooth decay), gum (periodontal) disease, and oral cancer. Some of the symptoms of oral health may include toothache, bad breath, teeth sensitivity and red or swollen gums.

The causes include poor dental hygiene, improper brushing and flossing habits, bacterial infection, nutritional deficiencies, and bone diseases.

It is important to note that oral conditions are frequently considered separate from other chronic conditions, but these are actually inter-related.

Poor oral health is associated with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Oral disease also is associated with risk behaviours such as using tobacco and consuming sugary foods and beverages.

Tooth decay is damage that affects your teeth due to the activities of bacteria present in dental plaque. These bacteria convert sugars from your food into acids, which can go on to damage teeth. There are steps that you can take to help prevent tooth decay. These include things like brushing your teeth at least twice a day, avoiding sweet foods, and making sure you visit your dentist regularly. Public health strategies such as community water fluoridation and school sealant programmes are safe and effective interventions proven to prevent cavities and save money. The treatment for tooth decay depends on what stage it’s in. Some examples of potential treatments include fluoride treatments, fillings, and root canals.

Health minister Sylvia Masebo said Zambia was making various strides to improve on the delivery of oral health services to the people. She said among the government strategies and strides was the one witnessed in the 2022 recruitment of more than 11,000 health workers where a good number of dentists was employed and deployed in most health facilities, just like it was the case to other health cadres. The other strategy the government is using in an effort to improve on the current status of oral health services in the country is to procure more equipment to be used in dental services and distribute them to other health facilities.

It is fascinating to learn that the government through the Ministry of Health and in good collaboration with various cooperating partners is trying to improve on the quality delivery of dental services to all parts of the country.