Persons Encouraged to Practise Healthy Oral Care Habits
By: , October 28, 2020
Photo: Contributed
Parish Dental Auxiliary Coordinator at the St. James Public Health Services, Cashma Lawson-Rhoden (left), and Dental Surgeon at the St. James Public Health Services, Dr. André Spence, promoting Oral Health Month (October 2020).The Full Story
The St. James Public Health Services is encouraging the practice of healthy oral care habits through the promotion of an educational dental hygiene video, in recognition of Oral Health Month (October).
Speaking with JIS News, Dental Surgeon at the St. James Public Health Services, Dr. André Spence, outlined that the new promotional video highlights dentistry and the importance of oral health.
“As we celebrate Oral Health Month with our theme, ‘Say Ahh: Unite for Mouth Health’, the idea is to get all stakeholders involved in promoting dentistry and promoting oral health,” said Dr. Spence.
“We recognised that we had to adapt our plan to match the current times we are living in. So, the St. James Health Services in celebrating Oral Health Month this year have actually done ourselves a video. The idea is to try and get the video across the populace out there,” he added.
Dr. Spence said the video can currently be viewed across various social media platforms, such as St. Elizabeth Dental Department’s Facebook and YouTube pages. He is inviting the people of St. James and wider Jamaica to view the educational content and adopt best oral health practices.
“The video has features from the various health departments. We want everybody to recognise that this is not just dentistry promoting mouth health, but the health profession is promoting mouth health. As more science is revealed, we recognise that mouth health is tied very intricately with the general health of the body,” Dr. Spence explained.
“So, we may not be able to visit the dentist as frequently now because of COVID-19, but we have to do our part in terms of our home care in keeping our mouth healthy,” he added.
Dr. Spence further noted that with more people being at home, due to COVID-19, there tends to be a lot more snacking than usual. He said persons must be mindful of their food intake, particularly the sugary treats.
“While we are staying home and staying safe we have to remember to take care of our mouth, because our oral health is tied to the general health of the body. So, in the COVID-19 pandemic we all have to unite for mouth health,” he said.