KARACHI: The Dow Dental College (DDC) Department of Community Dentistry provided oral health guidance and services to as many as 600 students of Madrasa Jamia Ansaria between the ages of 5 to 21 years during a visit to the seminary on the outskirts of Karachi.
The activity was conducted by a dedicated team comprising final-year dental students, house officers, and faculty members under the guidance of Dr Muhammad Taqi, the Head of the Department of Community Dentistry for the underprivileged students of the seminary.
The visit was aimed to impart oral health education and offer basic dental services to the children, instilling a culture of preventative care and overall well-being among the students.
During this outreach activity, a total of 600 students were provided oral health guidance in both Pashtu
and Urdu languages, emphasizing essential oral hygiene practices with a focus on regular check-ups, proper tooth brushing, effective flossing techniques, maintaining a healthy diet, and overall oral health maintenance.
The main presenters during this initiative included house officers Dr Zahida Warsi, Dr Fatima Farooq, Dr Lubna Gul, and Dr Rabia Moin, along with the final-year dental student, Aysha Jabeen.
The DDC team conducted comprehensive screenings of the students to identify common oral health issues such as caries, bleeding gums, infections, and ulcers. The screenings were facilitated by the team of faculty members, comprising Dr Adnan Anwar, Dr Babar Zia, and Dr Mona Shah, in collaboration with
final-year dental students Aliza Adil, Noureen, and Ayesha Siddiqa.
They explained personalised management plans to each student, providing them free medications and medicated toothpaste to promote long-term dental wellness within the community.
The DDC Department of Community Dentistry is committed to organizing such activities as a cost-effective means to impart oral health education to communities, from an early age.
It believes that such efforts significantly contribute to reducing the overall cost of dental care and dentistry-related health issues within the community, ultimately promising a brighter and healthier future for all.