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

 A delegation from the Volta College Foun­dation, a non-govern­mental organisation, has donated GH¢9,000.00 to the family of nine-year-old Victoria Atsoribo, who suffered severe burns in a fire accident at home.

The donation was made at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where Victoria is currently on admission and undergoing treatment.

Led by women’s or­ganiser of the foundation, Madam Mawulawoe Ame­dorme and Deputy PRO, Ms Rebecca Gollo, the delegation said the NGO launched a support cam­paign for Victoria, with the aim to ease the finan­cial burden on Victoria and her family.

Madam Amedorme said “thanks to the overwhelm­ing generosity of our members and the general public, we were able to raise funds to support her treatment and recovery.”

Receiving the dona­tion, Victoria’s uncle, Mr Bright Danquah Dumevi, expressed gratitude to the leadership and members of the foundation for their kindness and support.

He said Victoria was transferred from Marga­ret Marquart Hospital in Kpando to Korle Bu Teach­ing Hospital in Accra for specialised care.

According to Mr Dume­vi, Victoria was currently undergoing planned staged skin grafting (surgery) as part of her treatment.

Your kind gesture has made a profound impact on her recovery journey, bringing hope and joy to her healing process.

He said the contribu­tions from the foundation will help in taking care of Victoria’s bills, adding that “your support has allevi­ated a significant portion of the financial burden associated with her treat­ment, allowing her family to focus on her recovery.

He also appealed to the general public, be­nevolent individuals, and organisations to continue extending their support to Victoria to aid her recov­ery.

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.