He remarked that poor oral health complicates non-communicable diseases such as Diabetes, and Heart disease and that it could lead to low birth weight, babies been born weighing lower than usual.

The healthcare professional went on to explain that a lot of diseases can be prevented if oral health is optimum.

He said that this is the first time that the programme has been staged in the Federation of St.Kitts-Nevis and that there were future plans to take it to the countries of Panama, South, and Central America.

He ended his interview by concluding, that people needed to pay special attention to oral health and make it a must for their health care programmes. This he said is of great importance to all age groups.

Also speaking to this newspaper, was Dr. Trevor Christmas who remarked that in his experience as a dentist, he has found that oral health is taken very much for granted in our population.

“Many people,” he said, “just do not care very much for there teeth and gums.”

He said that he was quite pleased to participate in the workshop since it was geared towards sensitizing not only doctors but other healthcare workers about oral healthcare but also identify persons within the society who need proper dental care attention.

Dr. Christmas explained how important it was to practice basic procedures such as the use of fluoride application which he said strengthens teeth and help prevent small problems that may escalate into bigger ones.

“Simple things,” Dr. Christmas emphasized, “like brushing after each meal helps to not only eliminate food from between teeth but would also prevent plaque build up and cavities.”

He ended by encouraging the general public to take greater responsibility in taking care of their teeth and gums as much as they can since neglecting this could cause great expense, not only financial wise but also health wise.

He advises that people should see their dentist at least every six months.

Dr. Veron Brookes also shared her sentiments with this newspaper, in which she stated that people have to understand the importance of taking care of their teeth and gums.

She said that dental medicine has evolved so much that these days extraction is not the only option to solve every tooth problem.

 In her conclusion she said that the general public should also pay attention to gum disease.