Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday stressed the need for making basic oral care facilities accessible to every individual since oral health is an important and crucial part of one’s overall health and wellness. She was speaking after flagging off mobile dental vans on the occasion of World Oral Health Day.
The mobile dental vans were flagged off as part of Oral Health Month 2009, a nationwide oral health awareness campaign organised by the Indian Dental Association and Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited. As part of the program, free dental check-ups were also conducted for children from Pratham, a community based organisation that promotes education of under-privileged children in 24 States in India.
Ms. Dikshit said while oral health was very important, yet it continues to be a rather neglected area. She lauded the month-long campaign saying it would be offering free dental check-ups through the mobile dental vans to a large section of the society that could not afford basic oral care.
The Chief Minister said this private-professional-partnership is a role model for more companies and professional organisations to join hands and benefit the society. She also appealed to the people to realise the importance of oral hygiene and make the most of the free dental check-ups which will be conducted through September and October.
Honorary secretary general of Indian Dental Association Ashok Dhoble said oral health was very critical for overall health. He said research has shown that dental diseases can best be prevented through early detection and primary prevention. Through the oral health month, he said an attempt has been made to reach out to as many people as possible to spread awareness about basic oral health habits.
