Here is news that children can chew on. Nine schools, which have 17,000 children, are starting a campaign to emphasise oral hygiene in a child’s routine.
Six schools, which are part of the DPS group of institutions, will also take a pledge to become cavity-free in the next three years. To flag off this programme, 17,000 school children between the age of six and 15 will on November 17 gather at the DPS Sarjapur campus. They will demonstrate the importance of oral healthcare by brushing teeth as part of the ‘Brush Right - Smile Bright’ campaign, an initiative of My Dental Plan, whose mission is to achieve ‘Caries-free children in India by 2020’. This activity may make an entry into the Guinness World Records.
My Dental Plan is an initiative by a group of dental surgeons and oral health experts, who are aiming to bring affordable and quality dental care.
Statistics reveal that 55 per cent of children in the 2-11 age group suffer tooth decay (caries) in their primary teeth while 40 per cent have decay in the permanent teeth. In India, less than 5 per cent of children receive timely dental care and related health education, the release said.
Mansoor Ali Khan, Member, Board of Management of DPS Group of Institutions, said that making schools cavity free is the need of the hour as oral hygiene is a neglected issue. “Asking children to maintain oral hygiene will trickle down to the families as children are the best change agents,” he said. Government schools in the vicinity will get free screening and will be provided free dental care.
17,000 school children between the age of six and 15 will gather at the DPS Sarjapur campus on November 17
