Our partners in the Craniofacial Centre, Nepal, conducted an outreach camp in Majhra Village, situated 17km outside of Janakpur. Over the course of a day, almost 80 patients were examined after queuing patiently while social distancing. As well as providing basic treatments and organising referrals to the Craniofacial Centre, medical staff counselled patients about the adverse effects of smoking on oral and dental health.
The importance of good oral hygiene cannot be overlooked: oral health greatly influences the quality of life and all too often people live in pain, miss school or work and, in extreme cases, develop life-threatening infections as a result of what are largely preventable conditions.
Poverty has a direct link to poor oral health, and a lack of access to timely, appropriate and affordable dental care continues to be a crisis. Outreach camps like this one provide an opportunity to not only treat, but also educate communities about teeth function, and the importance of maintaining oral care, healthy food habits, and proper brushing technique.
