‘Dietary habits cause of decay’

dentist regularly and ensuring she brushes her teeth properly,” she said.

Struggling with oral health from such a young age can be tough as the child grows up. Halima began going to the dentist since she was nine years old. “I remember going to the dentist more than any other doctor, I used to go three times a year and as I went into my teenage years, the visits were cut to twice a year,” she said.

“I had fillings in four teeth, and before I was 16, I had already taken one of my wisdom teeth out, I am 22 years old now and I’ve already had braces, a root canal treatment and a gum surgery done. Going to the dentist for so many years had made me more aware of my oral hygiene and I have been improving it,” Halima added. Pakistani schools in Muscat have been holding medical camps on a quarterly basis for the past two years. “We started this drill two years ago and it has been extremely successful in keeping up with the health needs of the children,” said Khalid Jadoon, Principal, Pakistan School Muscat.

Indian School Darsait’s principal Sridevi Tashnath said: “We try to raise awareness about health issues at our orientations. Our goal is to sensitise children and parents about health hazards. Many children tend to skip breakfast in a hurry to get to school. We tell them about the importance of the first meal of the day and ask them not to skip it. We also have an infirmary to tend to children’s health if they feel ill.”

Nasria Al Maqhusi, whose daughter is in the first grade, said: “Two of my daughter’s teeth have decayed. She now brushes her teeth twice a day. I think the reason she has a decay at such a young age is because of a weakness in the structure of her teeth, and due to eating fast foods.”