OPEN DAYS AT THE ESSOS HOSPITAL CENTRE (CHE): Learning about pedodontics
The Essos Hospital Centre (CHE) in Yaounde is organising a campaign on specialised dental care for children from the 24th to the 25th of August 2023.
“The importance of the baby tooth in the development and implementation of oro-facial functions (chewing, swallowing, phonation and breathing),” is the campaign's theme currently taking place at the CHE. The activity brings together all children aged 2 to 13 years for a free consultation from 08:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.
Dr. Jean Martial Ekobena, a pedodontist, explains “Pedodontics is a new concept for us here especially since in all of Cameroon we have only 4 pedodontists. However, that would simply mean the care of children who require dental care. You know, our children cannot get the same care as adults because they are still frail and they can't bear the same pain. So pedodontists use special communication techniques to help children feel comfortable and safe during their visit.”
This free consultation campaign is carried out in three stages: registration of patients, explanation of the concept by the doctor, and the consultation itself. It should be noted that pedodontics play a crucial role in the oro-facial development of children, specifically chewing, swallowing, phonation, and breathing. It is different from adult care, which is long-term care.
The conference, which began at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, the 24th of August after the consultations, helped educate parents on the use of toothpaste for the prevention of dental caries.
An action to promote the concept of pedodontics: “The first objective of this activity is to aware the general public aware of the concept relating to pedodontics which remains unknown. It will also allow us to retain patients and increase revenues in terms of care and procedures performed,” says DCHE, Alamine Mey.
The first visit to a pedodontist is recommended when the baby's first tooth appears. This visit enables the dentist to monitor the child's dental development and to detect any potential problems before they become more serious. It is therefore important to take care of our children's teeth because the baby tooth must be in good health.
