Karachi: Jinnah medical and Dental College (JMDC) under the guidance of Dr. Maria K Siddiqui, Head of Department Community Dentistry, organized an educational program, aimed towards pursuing practice of reaching out to the underprivileged members of our community, to educate them regarding the basic rudiments of oral health and hygiene.
JMDC’s oral health team consisted students of 2nd Year BDS, faculty members Dr. Seema Shahid and Dr. Asim Iqbal. Together, they all visited ‘NISHAN-E-RAH WELFARE and VOCATIONAL CENTER, located in Mehmoodabad, Karachi. This NGO is run by Mr. Mateen and his daughter Dr. Nausheen Mateen, where underprivileged students are given free education, and be a part of skills classes on stitching and knitting.
Earlier the institute contacted the Community Dentistry department of JMDC regarding arranging an oral health awareness session for their students and educate them about the harmful effects of tobacco use.
Therefore, JMDC’s team accepted their request and visited the NGO to educate these students about the risks of tobacco chewing and the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. While interacting with the children, it was observed that the habit of chewing tobacco intake was common among children as young as age 4.
A detailed interactive lecture was delivered on Harmful Effects of Tobacco Chewing and Quitting the habit. Demonstration of tooth brushing techniques were performed on dental models, followed by free dental checkups. At the end of the program, goody bags were distributed amongst the children and staff.
Dr. Maria Siddiqui expressed her concerns over the need of frequent visitations to such institutes and other NGO’s alongside to increase their awareness regarding oral hygiene and its importance.
