Dental specialist links infertility, heart diseases, other NCDs partly to poor dental health

Severe gum diseases arising from improper dental care are a contributing factor to infertility, heart diseases and several other non-communicable diseases in the country, says renowned dentist and Founder of Knight Smile Dental Clinic, Dr. George Brown.

“If you have dental disease, especially gum disease, it is no longer doubted that it is associated with diabetes, heart disease, dementia, infertility, and babies with low birth weight. In men, gum disease can cause impotency,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of a three-day dental outreach in Akim Achiase.

He added: “If people take their dental health seriously by cutting down on sugars and taking good care of their teeth, it will do them a great deal of services in every aspect of their health.”

According to the renowned dentist, basic oral care practices such as brushing twice daily, using incidental means to clean in-between the teeth and regular visits to the dentist should not be taken for granted.

Oral hygiene or dental health is not something that should be put on the back burner; people should make it their business to maintain their dental health for their general well-being, he further emphasized.

Dr. Brown is a member of Smile4Ghana, a dental charity organization registered in the UK and constituting of three UK-based dental specialists and their spouses. As part of their annual dental outreach program, they provided dental care and education to residents of Akim Achiase and its surrounding communities in the Eastern Region.

The three-day screening exercise covered oral and dental health education, tooth extractions, scaling and polishing, and treatments for gum diseases.

An average of one hundred and fifty beneficiaries per day, including schoolchildren, adults and security service personnel received on-the-spot treatment whilst patients with severe and complex conditions were referred to the district hospital in Akim Oda for full treatment.

Commenting on the screening exercise, Dr. Brown said: “This dental outreach seeks to provide quality dental care to underprivileged Ghanaians”.

“Specifically, we seek to offer primary care services whilst providing dental and oral health education that emphasizes more on prevention.”

Dr. Brown emphasized that mass dental outreach and health screenings will greatly improve the health and general well-being of all the beneficiaries.

“By looking at the mouth and signposting the needs, hopefully, we contribute not only to their health but also to their social wellbeing,” he further indicated.

Jonmoore International Limited, a transport and project logistics company in Ghana are the logistics partners of Smile4Ghana and pledges on its continuous support to this noble cause as part of its corporate social responsibility in giving back to underprivileged societies.