Children who uphold good oral hygiene are very likely to be high achievers in school compared to those who have toothache due to cavities and poor oral hygiene, the Brands Building Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Nana Yaa Kissi, has said.
“Oral diseases in children can impact their self-esteem, and they may avoid laughing or smiling due to the perceived poor appearance of their teeth,” she said.
Nana Yaa Kissi said this at this year’s World Oral Health Day marked at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra, recently.
According to her, tooth decay affected nearly 96 per cent of the adult population between 35-40 years and about 40 per cent of 12-year-olds in the country and added that untreated tooth decay could have a serious and long-lasting effect on children’s growth and overall health.
At the event, 20 winners of a competition which was dubbed: “Brushing daily challenge,” aimed at getting children to brush their teeth regularly were rewarded with hampers and Unilever products worth a total of GH¢5,000.
The challenge engaged 10,336 pupils from lower primary and upper primary schools in a brushing diary where they brushed their teeth twice daily.
World Oral Health Day is an international day celebrated on March 20 every year to celebrate the benefits of a healthy mouth and to promote worldwide awareness of the issues around oral health.
