School dental awareness session in Chakwal highlights need for early oral hygiene education

CHAKWAL: A dental hygiene awareness session held at City Model School Chakwal Campus has highlighted the growing importance of introducing oral health education at the school level to help children develop preventive habits early in life.

The awareness programme was organised by ICD Region 24, Section 24, where students and teachers were given practical guidance on daily oral hygiene, preventive dental care, and correct brushing methods. The session focused on helping schoolchildren understand how regular brushing, proper technique, and consistency can protect them from tooth decay, gum disease, and other avoidable oral health problems.

The initiative comes at a time when dental experts continue to express concern over the increasing burden of preventable cavities and poor oral hygiene among school-age children in Pakistan. Health educators believe that introducing structured oral health awareness in classrooms can play an important role in reducing long-term dental complications and treatment costs.

A large number of science students and faculty members attended the programme, creating an interactive learning environment in which both students and teachers actively participated in discussions on cavity prevention, gum care, and maintaining oral cleanliness. The involvement of teachers was seen as particularly valuable, as it may help reinforce healthy habits in daily school routines even after the session.

The programme was led by Master Fellow ICD Professor Arshad Malik, Dean, HBS Dental College, who, along with his team, demonstrated proper brushing techniques and explained the importance of brushing duration, frequency, and method in simple and easy-to-understand language.

To encourage practical implementation of the awareness message, organisers also distributed free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and small gifts among participating students. The distribution aimed to ensure that children could immediately adopt the techniques they had learned during the session.

Dental public health observers say such school-based awareness drives can serve as an effective preventive strategy, especially in communities where routine dental check-ups are less common and oral health education is often overlooked.

The Chakwal session has once again underscored the value of integrating oral hygiene education into school activities, enabling children to adopt healthy practices before dental disease develops.