FG, Unilever partner to eradicate dental disorders

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The need for Nigerians to have access to dental care and a cavity free future took the centre stage at a stakeholders’ forum held in Abuja to proffer solutions aimed at improving oral health of Nigerians.

The forum led by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Enahire in collaboration with Unilever, makers of Pepsodent Toothpaste, admonished Nigerians to see their oral health as closely integrated with their general health system as the mouth is the gate way to the body.

They said several oral diseases are related to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension also manifest in the mouth.

Flagging-off the 2015 National Oral Health Week, Enahire noted that Nigeria has marked improvements in oral health system through the renewed vigour invested in oral activities in the country, particularly, in the area of oral health promotion by relevant stakeholders and policy makers.

Reacting to the theme: “Good Oral Health… Better Health for Nigerians”, he said the ministry is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to rapidly reduce the burden of these diseases through prevention, early detection and management of cases.

Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba pledged the company’s commitment to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through Pepsodent Brush Day & Night schools programme, adding that about 1 million school children are being reached in 2015, the Pepsodent mobile dental clinic has also been delivering FREE dental care to thousands of Nigerians everyday across the country.

“We are driving positive habit change and promoting the culture of brushing twice daily – day and night- which is a global best practice to healthy (oral-care) living,“ the Brand Manager Pepsodent, Unilever Nigeria, George Umoh said.

As part of activities to mark the National Oral Health week, the FMoH and the Pepsodent toothpaste team visited schools across the FCT to distribute dental care, oral hygiene instruction and products.

Source: Vanguard