World Oral Health Day: Dental Therapist Warns Against Using Painkillers for Tooth Decay

A dental therapist at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, Samuel Baah, has warned that individuals who rely on painkillers to manage the pain of tooth decay should discontinue this practice.

Speaking with Xtrememediaonline on Thursday, March 20, Mr. Baah explained that the intake of painkillers only reduces the symptoms of the actual cause, rather than curing it.

“Whenever you have a tooth decay and you take a painkiller, you are just reducing the symptoms of the condition, but the actual cause of the problem is still there, which is the tooth.”

He advised that individuals suffering from tooth decay should see the dentist for a better treatment of the condition.

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Mr. Baah further cautioned against the use of toothpicks to remove food particles from the teeth. According to him, the toothpick is never the right tool because it does not have the capacity to remove all food particles; rather, it has the potential of causing harm to the gum.

He therefore advised that individuals use dental floss and a dental brush to remove food particles from the teeth.

He refuted the ideas of individuals that leaving toothpaste in the mouth after brushing is a good way of keeping the teeth healthy, noting that even though fluoride on the teeth is good, not washing the mouth after brushing could lead to the ingestion of fluoride, which may cause harm to the body.

“Fluoride works best when it comes into contact with the teeth, so if you brush your teeth and you leave the foam in your mouth and you swallow it, you are ingesting the fluoride, which may not be helpful to your body.”

“The first water that you use to rinse your mouth, research has shown that it contains a lot of fluoride. So just hole it in your mouth, switch it around for about 30 seconds to a minute before you spit it out.”

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Mr. Baah encouraged individuals to visit the dentist at least twice a year, noting that oral hygiene is integral to general health.

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated annually on March 20th. It is a global awareness campaign that aims to encourage people to take care of their teeth and gums and raise awareness about the risks of oral diseases, such as tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer.

This year’s theme for the celebration is, “A happy mouth is a happy mind.”