27 Sep 2023

 The impact of dental fluorosis goes beyond issues of aesthetics or cosmetics, Ghanzi Primary Hospital principal dental officer Dr Ontibile Lepekwane said in an interview at Ghanzi District Health Management Team oral health commemoration in D’Kar.

He said dental fluorosis, which was a brownish discoloration of the teeth due to excess fluoride could affect self-esteem and confidence, adding that  bullying could arise, especially if the condition presented itself at a youthful age. 

She said the condition was caused by excess fluoride either in the water or diet, weakening the enamel surface of teeth making them brittle.

She said there were various modes of treatment, but currently in the government setting such treatments were not available, 

“We generally just refer patients to private facilities where they can access dental bleaching or composite veneers.”

In her presentation during the health campaign Dr Lepekwane said of 600 students screened for oral conditions in D’kar, 520 were identified with one or more conditions, predominantly dental fluorosis at 252, gum diseases at 186, dental caries at 37 cases and others.

Of the 72 community members screened at the mobile dental clinic, she said 66 had periodontal diseases, 25 dental caries, 12 other cases and over 90 per cent of the patients presented with dental fluorosis.

In her key note address at the oral health week commemoration, Occupational Health & Safety superintendent at Motheo Copper Mine, Ms Tshireletso Lucas stressed that raising awareness about oral hygiene was an essential part of overall health.

The theme; Be Proud of Your Mouth, for a Lifetime of Smiles, Ms Lucas said signified the importance of taking good care of one’s mouth, adding, ‘practicing good oral hygiene can preserve our smiles for generations to come’.

She said the state of teeth and gums provided valuable insights into the condition of the body  as a whole. 

“Let us not overlook the importance of maintaining a healthy smile that reflects the vitality within us.”

She said Ghanzi District like elsewhere in the world, disease prevalence in oral health were dental caries and gingivitis/periodontitis with a significant rise in oral cancer which mainly contributed by excessive use of tobacco,” she said.

She said it was imperative to strike a balance between culinary delights and oral health, saying by adopting a balanced diet and practicing good oral hygiene, ‘we can avoid being victims of the latest scourge to attack the health-sector world-wide, being non-communicable diseases. ‘’

In pursuit of achieving its mission, she said Ghanzi DHMT Oral Health Services was currently conducting a three months project in D’Kar with the aim to bring services closer to the people and to address common oral health conditions.

She urged the village leadership, stakeholders and the community to support the initiative and prioritise oral health, come up with ways to mitigate the ever rising challenges of oral health conditions in the district.

She said Ghansi DHMT Oral Health Division offered curative services, which were restorations/fillings, scaling and polishing, minor oral surgical procedures and extractions. ENDS