Tsakani – Representatives from the Dunnottar Military Base Dental Department visited the Tsakani Old Age Home on Wednesday. The purpose of the visit was to provide dental care and advice to senior citizens and staff members of the home. The elderly were screened, provided with toothpaste, educated on good oral health and received snack packs which included fruit and juice. The visit was headed by Dr Pitso Mashangwane.

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“The mouth and the surrounding structures, including the teeth, are an important part of the body as a whole. “The aim is to prevent oral health disease before it occurs or to reduce the impact of oral health disease. “Some of these issues are common among elderly people, whom we tend to forget about from time to time,” he said. He added a healthy mouth is essential for general well-being and quality of life. “Our oral health gives us clues about our overall health. “The mouth is filled with bacteria and some of the bacteria can cause diseases. “Daily brushing and flossing helps with keeping the bacteria under control. “However, without proper oral hygiene, bacteria can reach levels that might lead to oral infections, such as tooth decay and gum disease,” he explained.

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The home’s facility manager, Phoko Mokubung, said they were in negotiations to have these visits quarterly. “What we have been doing prior to this was mainly take our patients to health facilities whenever they needed a tooth removed or something checked. “With this initiative we have learnt some of these issues can actually be prevented by teaching people how to correctly clean their teeth and maintain a healthy mouth,” he said. Follow us on: