The Department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry CMH Lahore Medical College conducted oral awareness and screening week, with the collaboration of Colgate international from 12th-16th of May 2014. The main aim of this activity was to spread knowledge and educate school going children and their parents of oral health and advise them treatment.
The objective was to screen and educate 25,000 school going children in these five days. This mammoth task could only be achieved with the help of our able and willing 2nd year BDS students.
The class was divided in to six groups lead by a team leader. The team leader included Dr Bilal Abdul Qayum Mirza HOD, Dr Asma Shakoor, Dr Ali Anwar, Dr Nauman Zaheer, Dr Sidra Afzal and Dr Anum Shahab.Each team was assigned a target school which they had to screen and educate every day. The school children who were screened afterwards got a small consolation gift which was very generously provided by Colgate.
The screening was carried out on a proforma designed by Colgate. This included demographic data, brushing habits, teeth sensitivity, filling and scaling requirements, basic periodontal, fluorosis and malocclusion statuses along with any prosthetic and orthodontic need.
This exercise gave the students of 2nd Year BDS a hands on experience towards field and community work. The students performed the task with utmost diligence and focus. The team completed this huge task in a very short time frame which at the start seemed impossible.
