Over 3 million students attend oral dental health program

Over 3 million students attend oral, dental health program

TEHRAN – A week-long national oral and dental health program in elementary schools provided services to more than three million students across the country.

The program was held in some 34,000 schools in October, IRNA quoted Zahra Qorbani, a health ministry official, as saying.

Its main goal was to raise awareness about the importance of regular toothbrushing, using fluoride toothpaste, eating a healthy diet, and visiting the dentist regularly, she added.

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated every year on March 20 to empower people with the tools and knowledge to prevent and control oral diseases, which affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide.

It encourages people to look after their oral health by adopting a good oral hygiene routine and managing risk factors.

The theme of the 2025 campaign, “A Happy Mouth is A Happy Mind,” highlighted the important connection between oral health and mental well-being.

Micronutrient supplement programs

The health ministry has already implemented national micronutrient supplement programs under which Iron and vitamin D are distributed at high schools to address deficiencies in students, an official with the health ministry has said.

The iron supplementation program started in girls’ high schools 23 years ago. According to the program, female students receive one pill each week, for four months during the school academic year, ISNA quoted Ahmad Esmaeilzadeh as saying.

Iron deficiency causes anemia. It disturbs concentration, negatively impacts learning ability, leads to fatigue, and weakens the immune system. In addition to taking supplements, it is also recommended to consume an iron-rich diet, such as meat and legumes, the official said.

The coverage of the iron supplementation program has risen from 57 percent in the Iranian year 1400 (2021– 2022) to 91 percent in 1402 (2023 – 2024), he added.

The official went on to say that a vitamin D supplementation program started in the country in 2014. Currently, a vitamin D (containing 50,000 international units) is given to each male and female student in high schools monthly.

Over the past three years, the coverage of the program has surged from 51 percent to 80 percent, indicating effective cooperation among the health ministry, the ministry of education, and parents, he highlighted.

Challenges to the programs include limited budget, school administrators’ disagreement, or students’ resistance to taking supplements, Esmaeilzadeh added.

source: tehrantimes.com