- With an aim to prevent tooth decay among the school children, the Maharashtra government has launched a pan-Maharashtra drive.
- The oral hygiene campaign will kick-start in all the 34 districts and will cover thousands of students studying in government-run schools.
- The Maharashtra government has also roped in private dental colleges to reach out to the poor children across the state.
Oral health and Oral hygiene play a crucial role in the overall development and growth of a child. Many children develop an oral health condition due to bad food habits, to curb this, the Maharashtra government have rolled out a campaign, to target the school children.
A pilot project of the “Dental Sealant Program” has been already started in Ahmednagar district of the state. In this campaign, the specialist doctors will examine the oral health of the students studying in government-run schools.
While speaking to My Medical Mantra, Dr Yashwant Mulay, Deputy Director, Oral Health, Maharashtra, said, “Soon, with the association with private dental colleges, the campaign will be launched in all the 34 districts. The dental colleges will cover the area of 100 Kilometer in the respective district. Many times, if tooth decay is not identified, the child loses his/her teeth. So, keeping in mind the oral health, we have started this initiative.”
“The doctors will identify and treat the students who need oral care. Through this campaign, awareness about oral health will also be spread among parents. Children eat sweet things in the night and don’t wash their mouth properly. It may lead to tooth decay. Our prime objective is to stop the tooth from decaying further,” added Dr Mulay.
A majority of the students between the age of 5 and 15 suffer from the tooth conditions. It is primarily due to bad food habits and not following proper oral health care.