Dentist counsels Nigerians on mouth odour

A Dentist, Dr Simon Audu, on Friday advised Nigerians to be cautious of their oral hygiene, and to take practical steps toward preventing mouth odour (halitosis). Simon, who is also the Secretary of the Nigerian Dentists Association, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. According to him, […]

A Dentist, Dr Simon Audu, on Friday advised Nigerians to be cautious of their oral hygiene, and to take practical steps toward preventing mouth odour (halitosis).

Simon, who is also the Secretary of the Nigerian Dentists Association, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to him, oral health is an integral part of the general well-being of the body, which needs to be taken seriously.

“The mouth serves as window to the body; health of the mouth, therefore, determines the general health of the body.

“There are factors that cause mouth odour, and we term it as halitosis.

“It is an offensive odour perceived not from you, as an individual, but from the second party.

“We have the psychological factor, the physical factor, and the melanin factor,’’ he said.

Simon urged Nigerians to take proper care of their mouth, to guard against diseases.

“If we do not take good care of our mouth, disease comes into the body; we eat through the mouth, and it is through the mouth we nourish our body.

“Without the mouth, we do not have the body; since we cannot eat anything through our noses or through our ears or any other organs of the body,’’ he said.

He advised Nigerians to take preliminary steps to prevent mouth odour by brushing very well.

“It is very important; any food you eat, make sure you rinse your mouth very well; so that you do not leave the remnant in your mouth for longer period.

“Brush twice a day and rinse your mouth after meal,’’ he emphasised.

The dentist said that the importance of oral hygiene informed the reason why World Health Organisation (WHO) dedicated a day to draw attention to oral health.

He advised Nigerians to imbibe the habit of visiting their dentists at regular intervals.

“The first organ or the first part of the body that needs to be given proper attention is the mouth.

“ That is why the WHO, in collaboration with World Dental Federation (FDI), decided to choose 20th of March to celebrate and create awareness on the importance of good oral health.

“The most important thing you have to do is to come to the dental clinic regularly,” he said. (NAN)