A dentist, Dr Olamilekan Fatokun, on Friday said that many people stay away from dental facilities until their conditions deteriorate, hinging the trend on the high cost of treatment.
Fatokun, who highlighted the importance of regular dental visits, however, said that opportunities for free dental care were useful in enabling people to take action before it became too late.
He spoke in Lagos at the 10th edition of the Gbolahan Yishawu Foundation’s free dental outreach programmme.
“Many people avoid seeing dentists until their conditions deteriorate due to the high cost of treatment.
‘’This initiative gives them access to the care they need before it becomes too late,” he noted,
Fatokun urged residents to prioritise check-ups every six months, even without symptoms.
Another dentist, Dr Banjo Oluwasegun, expressed concerns over the High Blood Pressure (HBP) levels observed in many of the residents present at the event.
“Our minimum blood pressure reading was 150, even a 15-year-old recorded 145, which is alarming.
‘’We need to intensify awareness on general health, not just dental hygiene,” he warned.
Oluwasegun, however, lauded the increasing awareness among residents, noting a shift from heavy tooth extractions in earlier editions to more preventive care like fillings and oral cleaning.
“On the first day alone, we recorded over 50 denture fittings; people are becoming more proactive with their oral health, thanks to consistent outreach and education,” he said.
Gbolahan Yishawu, Founder of the NGO that organised the programme, said that more than 12,000 constituents of Eti-Osa Constituency 02 had benefited from the Foundation’s free dental outreaches.
Yishawu, a lawmaker representing Eti-Osa Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, described each edition of the outreach as critical, emphasising the need to bring relief to residents, who might not be able to afford quality dental care.
“Every single edition is important to us. It allows us to bring comfort and relief to our constituents.
‘’By the end of this year’s programme, we would have successfully carried out over 15,000 procedures since inception,” the lawmaker stated.
Two beneficiaries expressed gratitude and lauded the initiative, saying the programme had brought relief to many residents.
One of them, Mrs Ihedioha Pauline, shared how she had asked her son to wait for the outreach instead of paying a hefty hospital bill for a toothache.
“I could not afford the hospital fee, but thanks to this programme, my son is now fine, and I also came for my own dental issue,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Adesola Ekemode, commended the lawmaker’s dedication.
“My entire family has benefited from his programmes over the years; I pray he continues in office to complete more of his projects. This initiative touches both young and old,” he said.
The programme offered a wide range of dental treatments including extractions, fillings, scaling and polishing, surgical procedures, root canal therapy, and dentures.
It also offered referrals for complex procedures that could not be handled on-site.
Patients were referred to clinics where they received treatment at no cost, with all bills covered by the initiative.
