Poor oral hygiene can lead to life threatening diseases’ – expert

By Omolara Akintoye

Pix Caption: The Consultant Family Dentist, Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital Dr. Babalola Castano speaking with students at the event 

Experts have warned that poor oral hygiene can lead to life threatening diseases.

This was said by The Consultant Family Dentist, Ifako Ijaiye General Hospital, Dr. Babalola Castano, during an Oral Hygiene Sensitization for school children in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government area, Lagos State.

Cross section of participants

The program was organized by a group of professional friends under the aegis of Oshodi Parapo Foundation

According to Dr. Castano, bad oral hygiene can lead to hypertension from bacteria impacting the bloodstream of the patient.

Highlighting the importance of oral hygiene, Dr. Castano said the bacteria that appears in the blood near the gums of an unhygienic mouth can move to the rest of the body in a few seconds of entry if not quickly checked.

President Oshodi Parapo Foundation, Solomon Edukugho, addressing participants

He tasked the schoolchildren to inculcate the habit of taking the hygiene of their mouth with seriousness, adding that an unhygienic mouth can lead to so many other life-threatening diseases in the body.

Speaking on why the Foundation adopted Oral Health Care as their 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, President of the Foundation, Solomon Edukugho noted that many people are going through silent pains because of dental related issues.

He explained that there are many silent issues that affect the overall health and life of people and if those issues are not pointed out people would be walking in ignorance.

Edukugho recalled how people impressed on the foundation to choose optometry as the 2025 project, but they adopted oral health after he presented his findings from research he did after the death of one or two persons known to him who died of oral health complications.

“We considered so many reasons before we adopted Health Talk as our CSR this year. People die because of diseases from the mouth entering the bloodstream directly and when that happens, nobody will adduce it to oral health carelessness.

“We gathered 120 students in all schools in Oshodi, 60 from primary schools and 60 from secondary schools to represent their schools.

Speaking further “And it won’t stop there, we are going to commence intervention for those that need dental related issues in Oshodi because that is where we grew up”, Edukugho stated.

Responding, the Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government is Otunba Kehinde Almaroof-Oloyede commended Oshodi Parapo Foundation for the laudable initiative adding that this will help to improve oral hygiene of younger ones in the local government area.

Oshodi Parapo Foundation is comprised of childhood friends who grew up in the Oshodi Community and who are now professionals in their different areas of life giving back to the Oshodi/Isolo Community in their yearly CSR Projects.