Workshop on Oral Hygiene and Dental care

Inviting a dentist to interact with the children is a great idea! A dentists expert guidance can help children to understand how to maintain better oral hygiene. The dentist can teach children good tooth brushing techniques and give them advice on the kind of foods they should eat or avoid. With this in mind, Dr. Munish Bhagirath, dentist, was invited to School on 8th April 2016 for an interactive session with class VIII students.

Dr. Bhagirath is both a dentist and prosthodontist and practices in Chittranjan Park, New Delhi. He has experience of around 22 years in these fields and completed a BDS at the Nair Hospital Dental College (NHDC), Mumbai and a MDS Prosthodontics from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He is member of the Indian Dental Association and International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).

The dentist freely chatted with the children pand then enlightened them about sights and sounds in a dental clinic! He tried to ease their anxiety about a trip to the dentist. He assured them that by visiting the local dentist once every six months, the children would learn things that could prove vital for their wellbeing. He told them it would have a positive effect not only now, but in the future as well when they grow up.

He recommended the following steps to maintain good oral hygiene:

Brush teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste using the correct technique.

Replace toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner, if the bristles are frayed.

Clean between the teeth daily with floss or an interdental cleaner.

Visit the dentist once in six months for professional cleaning and an oral examination.

Practice a regular oral health care routine.

The children were particularly charmed when he showed all that a dentist could do to enhance the smile of a person with dental abnormalities! He told them that a dentist could repair a fractured tooth, provide people with teeth made of gold and silver, remove gaps between the teeth and align irregular teeth using braces. The children were fascinated to learn about all these possibilities.

By the end of the session, the children felt better informed and promised to take good care of their teeth.

Ms. Sandhya Batheja.