Around 100,000 free check-ups will be carried out in 'Colgate Dental Health Month' programme in September throughout the country's main cities, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad Rawalpindi and Hyderabad.
According to a press briefing at a local hotel here on Saturday, check-ups will be conducted and oral health tips will be provided to the general public. The event has been organised by Colgate-Palmolive, manufacturers of Colgate toothpaste, in collaboration with Pakistan Dental Association (PDA).
Professor Dr Waheed-ul-Hameed, President of Pakistan Dental Association (PDA), and Jimmy Engineer, a prominent social worker and philanthropist, were chief guests on the occasion.
Professor Waheed said that one objective of 'Colgate Dental Health Month' was to measure the oral health status and assess the extent to which dental ailments prevail among the people of the said cities. This, he said, was a good initiative as there is no authentic scientific data available with the government or any other organisation related to dental ailments in the country. "This data will help a lot in the study and elimination of dental diseases," he added.
He endorsed the activity and termed it useful in creating awareness about dental health care and prevention of dental diseases. But he was of the opinion that such programmes must also be held in remote areas as the cities covered in the programme are already developed areas and education related to oral health is higher in these cities.
Therefore, the ones who have not been reached yet must be reached, and free checkup camps should be set up in rural and remote areas like Badin Larkana, Dadu, where mostly illiterate people live.
According to him, only one percent of the population is aware of dental ailments. Some random data shows that about 90 percent people in Pakistan are suffering from tooth and gum ailments.
In this ratio above 50 percent have dental caries. It means that gross community is suffering from dental diseases and this must be address by concern authorities, especially doctors.
There is only one dentist available for 150,000 people, while the ratio is one to 800 in developed countries. There are only 260 registered dentists in the country, he said.
Dr Waheed said that free primary dental treatment should also be included in such programmes as now there are many simple tools, and techniques are available that can be carried and used easily in free camps. "We must go to the poor people who cannot afford the treatment and work on grass-roots level." He hoped that next year Pakistan Dental Association (PDA) could carry out such programme in association with Colgate.
Free dental checkups are being arranged in Karachi from September 5 to September 9 at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Fatima Jinnah Dental College, O T Hospital, Jinnah Medical and Dental College and Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry.
Following Karachi, free dental checkups will be carried out in Lahore from September 12 to 16 at Fatima Jinnah Institute of Dental Sciences, University of Lahore (Dental Section), Institute of Public Health and Fatima Memorial Dental Hospital.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, these dental checkups will be held from September 19 to 23 at Islamic International Medical and Dental Hospital and Margalla College of Dentistry.
In the end, the checkups will be done in Hyderabad from September 26 to 30 at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad (Civil Hospital) and Institute of Dentistry, L.U.M.H.S. Jamshoro.
Jimmy Engineer said that when it comes to oral care Colgate has always been at the forefront of initiatives to improve the dental health situation in Pakistan. The entire month of September has been devoted to spread awareness about dental health by Colgate under 'Colgate Dental Health Month' programme. This initiative is dedicated towards improving and promoting dental health care throughout the country.
"Creating awareness in the country is very important, especially health related, and in this programme I support Colgate", he added
During the 'Colgat.e Dental Health Month' programme free dental checkups are being carried out in leading dental institutions and schools throughout Pakistan. Leading dental institutions and hospitals have extended their full support and co-operation for the cause. During this programme it is hoped that more and more people will benefit from free dental checkups.
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