Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has advised Nigerians to take their oral health seriously to ensure their overall health and productivity.
He gave the advice yesterday during the commemoration of the national oral health week in Abuja.
He said oral health means more than healthy teeth adding, “it is multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch , chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort and disease of the craniofacial complex.”
Prof Adewole said the mouth is the gateway to the body and serves as a useful tool in detecting the early signs and symptoms of endemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, measles, syphilis and diabetes.
“Oral health is essentially an integral part of overall health. An unhealthy mouth according to researchers may reveal medical complications like increased risk of heart attack, stroke, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and preterm labour, pain, discomfort and anxiety,” he said.
