By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Akoon (W/R), March 24, GNA – Dr. Victor Paintsil, Dental Surgeon at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, has said the commonest dental problem affecting children from pre-school to Junior High school was mostly dental caries or tooth decay.
He made this known when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF), in collaboration with Unilever Ghana PLC, through its Oral Care Brand Pepsodent, observed the 2025 World Oral Health Day with pupils in Tarkwa.
It was on the theme: “A Happy Mouth is A Happy Life”.
The event, which took place at the Akoon Park, was aimed at promoting good oral health practices among basic schools in the host communities of Gold Fields Ghana (GFG), Tarkwa Mine.
They did free dental screening to stress the importance of regular check-ups to prevent oral health issues; Unilever, also distributed branded water bottles, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and exercise books to the pupils.
Dr. Paintsil noted that, “We have been seeing the cluster of schools here in Akoon and by the count of our statistics, we have seen about 892 pupils.
“So, I can safely say that by the close of the exercise, we will count not less than 1000 pupils and looking at this number close to 1000 about 25% of them, that is one out of every four pupil that is being examined is presenting dental caries”.
He expressed worry over the figures and advised Ghanaians to control the amount of sugar their children consumed, ensure they visited their dental clinic at least twice a year, and brush their teeth in the morning and at night before they went to bed.
Dr. Paintsil emphasised that if they were able to do these things, he believed they would not record such alarming statistics.
The dental surgeon thanked the GFGF and Unilever Ghana PLC for partnering for years to address the public health concern.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, the Project Coordinator for GFGF, hinted that the World Oral Health Day was observed annually on March 20, and over the years the Gold Fields had collaborated with Unilever to help educate pupils about dental diseases.
She said their focus had not been only on sensitization, screening, and distribution of products to pupils but on preventive health care as well.
Madam Mohammed added that, they were taking records and hoped to attend to approximately 3000 pupils at the end of this year’s programme.
Madam Agnes Esi Quantson, School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator for Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, explained that they run a programme for schools in Ghana and for years GFGF had taken it upon themselves to educate their children.
She said they have a group of pupils called peer educators, and they have been trained on how to “keep themselves clean, abstain from early sex, and a whole lot.”
Madam Quantson mentioned that these peer educators were given the opportunity to attend this programme, hence they would share what they have studied with their colleagues to promote good oral health practices in their schools and communities.
“When children speak to their colleagues, they take it better than even the adults,” the SHEP Coordinator indicated.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah