To celebrate this year’s World Oral Health Day in Ghana, the Information Ministry, together with Pepsodent, Ghana Dental Association and other relevant stakeholders, have joined forces to encourage Ghanaians take control of their oral health and avoid severe pain, costly and complicated treatments, and ultimately tooth loss.

To mark the day, a panel discussion was held at the Ministry of Information as part of an ongoing campaign which has been themed ‘Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late #TalkToADentist’, which stemmed from global research conducted by Pepsodent which suggested that in Ghana, four out of five people have lost teeth by the age of 65.

Panelists discussed the biggest barrier to accessing dental care, signs to look out for before seeking professional dental advice, and some initiatives engaged by Pepsodent in preventing serious problems that lead to tooth loss among Ghanaians.

The discussion featured Joel Boateng, Oral Care Category Manager, Unilever Ghana, Dr Cecilia Kakrabah- Quarshie, Vice President of Ghana Dental Association, Eno Quagraine the Founder & CEO of Talkative Mom, Ghana's First Parenting App. It was moderated by Anita Erskine, a seasoned bilingual broadcaster.

In his address to Ghanaians to mark WOHD, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said, "Oral health is important because it is critical for wellbeing. It is also important because it affects the people around you. And so, I want to encourage you not just to brush regularly, but to take better care of your general oral health and make it a point to visit your dentist regularly."

Joel Boateng outlined how Pepsodent was working with its partners to ensuring Ghanaians across the country get free dental screening.

He said, "As part of our brand’s ongoing mission to unleash the power of healthy smiles by eradicating oral disease for everyone, we are providing free dental check-ups via dental screenings centres around the country.

"We are also televising free dental consultation in partnership with the Ghana Dental Association through our popular TV programme Time with The Dentist. Through these services, we aim to help Ghanaians take control of their oral health to avoid tooth loss".

This year’s celebration was characterised by free dental screening at the Information Ministry which saw students, members of staff of the ministry, and the general public walk in for free dental services.

You can also get your free dental screening at Accra Mall, Achimota Mall, Junction Mall, Okaishie market, and selected communities.

To find out more and follow the ‘Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late #TalkToADentist’ campaign, follow @PepsodentGH on social media