Chief medical Officer, Dr David Johnson has expressed contentment with the level at which oral health has been integrated into Dominica’s primary health care system.
The Chief Medical Officer was speaking at the opening ceremony for Oral Health Week 2017 on Tuesday.
Dr. Johnson is pleased that all health districts in Dominica provide oral health care.
I am pleased that Oral health services in Dominica is well integrated into primary health care delivery system and within all of our seven health districts on the island,” he remarked.
Dr. Johnson, however is of the view that there is room for improvement of the oral health programmes.
“…We must strengthen our oral health programme into a more robust integrated oral health disease prevention and management programme which extends to the secondary care services as well.”
He believes that parents and teachers play an important role in maintaining the oral health of the population since proper oral hygiene practices should be instilled from an early age.
He urged health practitioners to not underestimate the role of teachers and parents in assisting to maintain a healthy population.
TRANSCRIBE: the task of having good oral health is not just the responsibility of oral health practitioners the responsibility starts with our parents and include teachers at kindergarten, primary and secondary school as well. Babies and infants are unable to brush their teeth so parents and guardians are responsible in ensuring that this is done and done properly.
clearly therefore parents and teachers for an integral part of achieving oral health and good health in general. We must therefore underestimate the role of parents and teachers in achieving general good health in the population even if they are not health care practitioners.
Under the theme “A Healthy Body Starts with a Healthy Mouth” oral health week 2017 ran from the 15th-18th of May.