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Dental Surgeon cautions children against sugary foods
A Dental Surgeon in Accra has attributed the soaring cases of tooth decay among children, to consumption of too much sugary products.
Dr Esther Priscilla Biamah Danquah, at PEB Dental Clinic again said that eating in-between meals also cause obesity among children.
Tooth decay, she explained, is the softening of the tooth enamel which causes damage to the structure of the tooth, by acids that are created when bacteria break down sugar in the mouth.
Keeping a good oral hygiene among children is a collective concern of the parents and the family as a whole.
This notwithstanding, she said that, “parents who go to work and leave their children at home make them prey to tooth decay because they eat a lot of sugary foods in the absence of their parents.”
Stages of tooth decay
The Dental Surgeon indicated that, there were four stages of tooth decay that occur in both children and adults.
She said the Enamel Caries, which is the first stage, is when cavity developes in the enamel resulting in food packing and bad breadth.
She explained that another stage known as Dentine Caries is when the cavity is extended into dentine and one begins to experience sharp pain due to intake of sweet products and cold or hot stimulus.
The Pulpal Infection, she said is another stage when the cavity progresses into pulp and one could have a spontaneous pain which keeps one awake at night.
The last process, the dentist explained was known as Apical Infection, when the contamination progresses to the apex of the tooth and may lead to pain on chewing.
Causes
According to her, sugar is a major cause of tooth decay among children which hinders their dental health and places a risk on their general health.
She indicated that an arrangement of the tooth was a factor that could cause tooth decay.
The dentist added that eating before sleeping was a cause of tooth decay mostly found in children who often ate before going to bed “bottle feeding”.
Prevention
Dr. Danquah said good oral hygiene practice by brushing the teeth twice a day could prevent one from getting tooth decay, and advised all to reduce sugar intake.
She admonished parents to teach children the proper brushing techniques which involved brushing the teeth in circles and said that one must brush the teeth or rinse the mouth after every meal and cautioned parents to ensure children rinse their mouths after eating and also inculcate the habit of taking fruits among their children.
She stressed that parents and their children should go for regular dental check-up and often go for professional cleaning of the teeth.
Complications
The Dental Surgeon said one could endure severe pains and also encounter swollen of the jaw which often led to an infection called ‘abscess’.
A form of tooth decay called ‘Ludwigs Angina’ can kill an individual.
She emphasised that tooth decay causes bad breadth among the young and old.
Dr. Danquah said tooth decay changes the colour of the teeth to brown and later changes it to black.
“The top-most dental problems include, tooth decay, periodontitis and bad breadth”, she hinted.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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