You probably do not know that one of way to improve your oral health is to discard your toothbrush anytime you recover from catarrh or any respiratory infection.

Surprising as it may sound, that is the advice from a Chief Dental surgeon with the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Esther Mark who says using the same toothbrush after recovering from a cold or respiratory infection, increases the risk of reinfecting yourself.

She was speaking to Joy News during a free dental screening exercise held at Zebilla in the Bawku West district of Upper East region.

The free dental screening exercise was organized by the Haven of Love Children’s Foundation in collaboration with the Otumfuo Charity Foundation and the Smiles for Everyone Foundation, based in California, USA.

Organizers of the exercise, the Haven of Love Children’s Foundation, a Christian-based NGO has been engaged in charity work in the Bawku west district for about four years now.

Founder of the NGO, Samuel Nana Bekai Djirackor says his organization realized that the absence of a dental health center in the district was affecting the wellbeing of residents who sometimes had to travel long distances to Bolgatanga  or Bawku to seek dental care; therefore, the need for the screening exercise.

“We realized that the deprived communities in the Bawku West district needed dental care. The whole district does not have a dental clinic and when the people here travel to Bawku or Bolga [to seek dental care], they meet long queues. So, we decided to see what we could do to help”, he said.

Djirackor said the Otumfuo Charity Foundation and the Smiles for Everyone Foundation were excited to be part of the noble cause.

Residents of from various communities in the Bawku West were screened by health professionals for various dental infections and given treatment.

They were also advised on the best kind of toothbrushes to use and how to use the toothbrushes correctly.

Chief Dental surgeon with the Ghana Health Services, Dr. Esther Mark who led the team of professionals who did the dental screening said most of the people who were screened came with cases of cavities, fractured teeth and retained roots. Others came with lose teeth or missing teeth, she revealed, adding that close one hundred residents were screened.

“Because of the COVID-19 [pandemic], there was not much we could do but most of the people were adults who came voluntarily with their dental problems so we treated them. We gave drugs to some of them and gave others toothbrushes”, Dr. Mark said.

She also noted that many Ghanaians were ignorant about how certain habits could cause dental problems and affect their oral health.  

She said for instance, many Ghanaians may were unaware that they need to discard their toothbrushes after recovering from infections like catarrh but it is recommended thing to do.

“You should throw your toothbrush away [after recovering from a cold]. Otherwise, there is the tendency of reinfecting yourself [with the cold]”, Dr. Mark revealed.

The dental surgeon also recommended the use of softer toothbrushes with smaller heads, rather than hard brushes with big heads.

“Using hard brushes and applying a lot of strength when brushing your teeth will not necessarily make them clean. That would rather destroy your gum and cause bleeding and a whole lot of other problems. Brushes big heads do not also reach the back of your mouth”, she said.

Dr. Esther Mark revealed that the Haven of Love Children’s Foundation in collaboration with the Otumfuo Charity Foundation and the Smiles for Everyone Foundation are hoping to roll out their sealant program in the Bawku West district next year.

“We intend to go round and apply dental sealant for children above 12 years to protect them from developing caries in their adult teeth”, she said.

Organizers of the dental screening exercise, the Haven of Love Children’s Foundation has over the last year, also embarked on a series of activities to sensitize the people of Bawku West about the coronavirus pandemic and how to avoid contracting or spreading it.

The organization also distributed nose masks, hand sanitizers and veronica buckets to needy households to help them observe covid-19 safety protocols.