UKZN Celebrates World Oral Health Day

The Discipline of Dentistry celebrated World Oral Health Day with an engaging awareness campaign aimed at educating patients, students, staff, academics, and other stakeholders on the importance of oral health. This initiative also focused on identifying dental issues that affect holistic well-being.

World Oral Health Day, commemorated annually on 20 March, is a day to unite with global counterparts in promoting oral health. This year’s theme, “A Happy Mouth is… A Happy Mind”, was presented by final-year Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene students through two parallel events held at UKZN’s Westville campus and King Dinuzulu Hospital Complex. Academic Leader in the Discipline of Dentistry, Dr Ilana Moodley, and Shenuka Singh, Full Professor and Deputy Chair of Biomedical Research Ethics Committee at UKZN graced the events at both sites.

At the Westville campus, staff and students turned out in large numbers to learn about various brushing techniques and the benefits of different oral hygiene products. The highlight of the event was the interactive fun and games, including Pin the Crown on the Tooth Blindfolded, Guess How Many Mints Are in the Jar, and Ring-toss, where participants aimed to throw a ring around a bottle of mouthwash to win oral hygiene products like toothpaste and mouthwash. Nearly 400 UKZN students from various disciplines participated in these activities. Dental screenings were also offered, with almost 200 students eagerly lining up for free dental examinations. Of those screened, around 70 were given appointments at King Dinuzulu Hospital for further dental treatment.

At King Dinuzulu Hospital, educational tables were set up in various departments, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychiatry, paediatrics, dental, pharmacy, and hospital reception. These departments were targeted to operationalise the programme’s theme while exposing students to real-world settings and fostering interprofessional collaboration. Activities included oral health talks, patient counselling with a focus on mental health, dental screenings, live Q&A sessions, and interactive games. Students distributed oral hygiene products to both patients and staff. A total of 310 patients were screened with several booked for dental treatment.

Moodley, praised the hard work of the final-year Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene students in planning the awareness programme.

Co-ordinators Dr Moganavelli Reddy, Dr Ashveer Gopie, and Mr Ryan Nkosi ensured a seamless delivery of the plans. They acknowledged the students for designing and creating the interactive games and the staff for supervising the students and securing sponsorships.

The Discipline appreciates the sponsorship of Colgate-Palmolive and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for providing toothpaste and mouth rinses.

Moodley expressed her satisfaction with the turnout, stating, ‘We couldn’t be happier with the turnout as it signifies that we have successfully conveyed the importance of maintaining good oral health.’

This campaign remains a cornerstone, connecting various stakeholders through community engagements to enrich students’ learning experiences.

Students were treated to meals sponsored by the Food for Life organisation and received snack and stationery hampers to conclude the day’s events.

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photographs: Nkosi Gcabashe