WORLD ORAL HEALTH DAY: Some patients with halitosis exhibit low self-esteem
A Registrar, Maxillofacial Department, Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe Dr. Bose Mohammed says some patients with halitosis tends to display low self- esteem.
Mohammed disclosed this in an interview with Punch Healthwise, while commemorating the World Oral Health day, noting that many displayed signs of depression.
According to him, it was imperative for individuals to pay close attention to the appearances in the mouth, stressing that it had alot to tell about the person.
Mohammed explained, “How will you tell a friend, colleague or spouse that their mouth is smelling? Quite difficult.
“I came across patients shedding tears,in obvious low self-esteem and depressed, because of mouth odour.
Have you ever stood in front of a mirror to self examine your teeth and mouth? You might have seen deposits of yellowish, black to spirogyra like substances stuck between your teeth and gums.What of gums bleeding during brushing or with just a slight touch? You need not to be told that all is not well.
Commenting on the signs to watch out, the Dental Surgeon revealed that about 3.5 billion people are battling with varying holes, noting that only a few persons visited health facilities in Gombe without major dental challenges.
“These are few ways of how oral diseases present, from simple bleeding gums to the devastating cancers and swellings in the orofacial region. It has been estimated that oral diseases affect about 3.5 billion people globally with dental caries (holes in teeth) ranking as the most common health condition worldwide according to the Global Burden of Disease 2019.
“We don’t have exact figures of people accessing dental clinics in Gombe, but generally speaking, is very poor. People come to dental clinic only when they have problems. And few come for professional washing of teeth (scaling and polishing) when they are about getting married,” Mohammed said.
The dental surgeon insisted that prevention was better than cure, stressing that patients should consult their physicians minimum of six months.
He said, “No cause of alarm! Oral diseases are preventable with proper oral hygiene education and lifestyle modification. Visit your dentist at least every six months for routine general check. Change your toothbrush every three months and learn the ideal brushing technique.
“Use medium textured toothbrush and make sure your toothpaste has “Fluoride” in its ingredients. Prevention is always better than cure. Take good care of your mouth and live happily.”
