Taking a proactive step to address oral health issues among school-going children, Maharashtra Government is mulling launching dental screening in schools. The pilot project will begin from Nagpur. The project is based on the basis of the study prepared by Nagpur’s Government Dental College and Hospital. Though the GDCH did not reveal the details of the studies, it says the team of dentists noticed dental caries in many school-going children, which may lead to serious dental problems.

 

“I am eager to get this dental screening done. Government will launch a massive dental screening programme in schools across Maharashtra. This we want to do to detect oral diseases among children if any with a thought to prevent the ailments likely to cause in future. We will start the programme from Nagpur as a Pilot Project. After studying the outcome, the project will be expanded in the State,” informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ‘The Hitavada’. Government of India’s National Oral Health Programme is emphasising on conducting such screening in schools. To protect the teenage generation from the ill-effects of tobacco, the Government Dental College, Indian Dental Association and the Medical Education Department have started a tobacco-free school campaign in Nagpur, and efforts are being made to make every school in the city tobacco-free through this campaign. Despite knowing the ill-effects of tobacco, a large number of people consume it.

 

The diseases caused by it not only increase the stress on the health system but also cause financial and mental collapse of the patient. Therefore, the State Government has decided to implement a tobacco-free school campaign. Dr Abhay Datarkar, Dean of GDCH told ‘The Hitavada’, “Under this, a board saying ‘Tobacco-free area’ should be put up in the premises of the schools, and the name and telephone number of the head of the institution is to be mentioned on that board. The board will also have the declaration ‘Tobacco is not sold or consumed in this institution’. A pledge that a tobacco-free campaign is being started here will be written on another board.

 

A yellow stripe should be painted 100 yards outside the school wall. Not only eating, but also possessing tobacco is prohibited within this strip.” Under this scheme, dentists from the GDCH as well as the city’s dentists have decided to participate in the tobacco-free school campaign. Each doctor will go to the school where they did their schooling and implement an anti-tobacco campaign and will also check the oral health of the students there. Dr Datarkar further shared, “In our studies, we found school students suffering from Sub Mucus Fibrosis but the number is not very big. Most students have developed caries, also known as tooth decay or dental cavities. This ailment causes holes in teeth. It is caused by bacteria in mouth that produces acids leading to breaking the tooth’s enamel. Most children have poor oral hygiene asthey don’t brush and floss regularly. In most homes, the pain developed out of it is ignored completely. It hurts especially while eating or drinking something hot, cold, or sweet.”

 

This programme will be launched by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who is very keen to get the screening done. In one meeting, Fadnavis has asked the dentists to create advisory for the children apart from screening. Long ago, Government had prohibited the tobacco vendors, paan kiosks within 100 metres vicinity of the educational institutions. Unfortunately, it was not implemented aggressively. According to dentists, this new project will have an impact for sure.