Dr Kakra Bonsu Appiah, Head of the Dental and Oral Surgery Department at the Tema General Hospital, says tooth decay has become the most common dental problem affecting residents of Tema.

Dr Appiah mentioned that there have been more patients reporting with cavities, tooth­aches, and other compli­cations linked to poor oral hygiene.

He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that tooth de­cay was caused by the breakdown of the tooth’s structure due to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, which thrive on sugary foods and poor brushing habits, making good oral hygiene practices essential in preventing the disease.

“The most common cause of dental caries is poor oral hygiene. When you look at how dental caries form, you will understand that poor oral hygiene is the leading cause of dental caries; it is about leaving food debris around the teeth,” he stated.

Dr Appiah explained that many of the cases presented at the hospital could have been avoided through regular brushing, proper diet, and timely dental check-ups, emphasising that maintaining oral health was not just about having clean teeth but also plays a critical role in overall well-being.

He advised residents to brush their teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss regularly to remove food particles between teeth, and reduce the intake of sugary snacks and drinks, as well as visit the dentist twice a year.

The dentist also expressed concern that people only visited the hospital when the pain became unbearable, urging Ghanaians to visit the dentist regularly to prevent emergencies.

Dr Appiah further appealed to parents to educate children on good oral hygiene practices from an early age and reduce their intake of sugary foods. —GNA

About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th gradua­tion ceremony of Cake Tekniks In­ternational, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.

During the ceremony, all gradu­ates were presented with certifi­cates while 13 of them also re­ceived professional diploma.

The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to pro­viding world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.

She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.

“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and your­selves,” she added.

Mrs Addo said the school was pas­sionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.

The founder and leader of QA Con­sult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveil­ing of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.

He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.

The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.

The Industrial and Com­mercial Workers Union (ICU) on Friday held the Greater Accra Regional Youth and Women’s Conference to build a strategic network.

The conference which brought together representa­tives of the Union was a great opportunity for ICU Ghana to make its voice heard on poli­cies that were crucial to the development of the country.

The platform was also used to elect new officers for the Greater Accra Branch of The ICU Ghana to mark its 12th National Quadrennial Confer­ence in August.

The General Secretary of the ICU Ghana, Mr Morgan Ay­awine, called on government to assist the two state-owned media organisation, New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of The Spectator and The Ghanaian Times newspapers and Graphic Com­munication Group Limited (GCGL).

“The two state-owned media played major roles in disseminating government policies, educating, enter­taining and informing the public of the happenings in the world,” he added.

He said ICU Ghana would also raise issues about the recapitalisation of the two organisations with the sector minister.

Mr Ayawine disclosed that the ADB and NIB banks were also going through the same ordeal but government inter­vened and urged government to do same for the two state-owned organisations.

He stressed on equal part­nership between unions and employers, saying the capital and labour were crucial to create, produce and generate funds.

The General Secretary advised the various branches of the association to suggest solutions on socio-economic issues such as employment for discussions.

The newly-elected mem­bers who were sworn in by the General Secretary, Mr Morgan Ayawine includes Be­linda Cochrane-chairman, Eric Ekow Turkson-Vice chairman and Moses Kwaku Otoo-Sec­retary.

Others were Charles Akomea-Financial Secretary, Charles Biden- Executive Member, Diana Asiedu-Wom­en’s Representative and Samuella A. Brago-Youth Representative.

The chairman of the Greater Accra Branch of the ICU Ghana, Belinda Cochrane thanked the leadership for contributing to the success of the union.

She added that the con­ference was to prepare for the 12th National Quadren­nial Conference and also to take stock of the activities of the branch for the past years and discuss issues on the ground.