Mangaluru: The Indian Dental Association, Dakshina Kannada chapter, organised an Oral Health Awareness, Anti-Tobacco and Oral Cancer Campaign for the general public, at Kadri Park, on Saturday, May 20. The chief guest for the occasion was mayor Kavitha Sanil.

District health officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao, taluk health officer Dr Naveen Kulal, deputy director of Horticulture Yogish H R, and the district dental health officer, Dr Laveena, were the guests of honour.

It was the first of its kind in the city were in all five dental colleges - Srinivas Institute of Dental Sciences, Yenepoya Dental College, A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, AJ Shetty Institute of Dental Sciences, and Manipal College of Dental Sciences, participated on one platform to promote 'better oral health for all'.

The event was conceptualised by Dr Kelvin Peter Pais and Dr Sreevidya Bhat, department of Public Health Dentistry, SIDS.

Free oral health education, free oral health screening and free referral or treatment cards, by colleges, were given to the public. All dental colleges showcased their dental exhibits and oral health education materials. The event focused on educating the public on the importance of oral health for a better general health. The anti-tobacco campaign as part of the Dental Council of India initiative for 'World No-Tobacco Day' was carried out to educate the citizens of India on harmful effects of tobacco and oral cancer prevalence in the country. Guruprasad of Sensodyne provided free toothpaste to the general public.

In his presidential, president of IDA-DK, professor Dr Manoj Varma, addressed the significance of the day and the importance of creating oral health awareness.

Dr Ramakrishna Rao, DHO, emphasised on the role of the state government in creating awareness on tobacco use, and play a role in controlling it.

Dr Rajesh G, HOD, MCODS, gave the statistics of oral cancer in India and congratulated the organisers for bringing all dental colleges to promote oral health at a single venue for the first time in the city.

Dr US Krishna Nayak, dean of ABSMIDS, Dr B H Sripathi Rao, dean of YDC, Dr Raghavenra Kini, vice principal of AJSIDS, Dr Nillon Shetty, honorary secretary of IDA-DK, and Dr Shuban Alva, past president IDA Karnataka state, were present on occasion.

The deans of all the colleges graced the occasion.