QUTHING, August 30 — More than three hundred students from Technical Institute of Leloaleng (TIL) underwent oral health screening at the institution’s premises on Friday.
The screening was carried out in an effort to mark district oral health awareness week on the theme “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind “, which started with similar activities at Pulane Children ‘s Village and Quthing high school since Monday.
Addressing students and teachers at TIL, the Dental Therapist Ms Mosa Maphutsi said oral and mental health have a bidirectional relationship where each significantly affects the other.
She stated that poor mental health, such as depression, is linked to inadequate oral hygiene and increased dental problems such as tooth decay and gum disease, while poor oral health can negatively impact mental well-being, leading to issues such as anxiety, low self-confidence to mention a few.
Ms Maphutsi encouraged teachers and students to avoid issues that lead to depression and maintain good oral health by avoiding amongst others sugary foods, biting of hard objects and mentioning that they should brush their teeth twice a day.
