By Seun Ibiyemi
More than 100 traders and residents of New Gbagi Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, have benefited from a free dental and basic healthcare outreach organised by the University of Ibadan Association of Dental Students (UADS) in partnership with SIFAX Group.
The community outreach, held on July 25 under the Committee on Dental Education and Health (CODEH), provided 101 participants with free dental consultations, oral health education and preventive care.
The beneficiaries also underwent complimentary checks for blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI), while 30 patients identified with specific oral health needs received professional scaling and polishing.
The initiative was supported by SIFAX Group as part of its community-focused health interventions aimed at improving access to healthcare services for underserved populations.
Speaking at the event, UADS President, Patrick Okelue, said the outreach was designed to address gaps in oral health awareness and access to dental services.
Okelue said available medical data showed that fewer than half of adults in the city had adequate knowledge of oral health, while only 22.1 per cent of those with such knowledge had accessed dental services within the preceding year.
He said the intervention therefore provided an opportunity to take oral healthcare directly to the market community.
According to him, participants received oral health education, dental consultations, medical screenings and referrals where further treatment was required.
The programme also featured practical demonstrations on proper tooth-brushing techniques and an interactive oral health education session delivered in English and Yoruba.
More than 60 student volunteers from the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital (UCH) participated in the exercise, with six clinical supervisors from the university’s Departments of Periodontology and Community Dentistry providing professional oversight.
The dental examinations were conducted under supervision, while the scaling and polishing procedures were performed by final-year dental students under the supervision of qualified dentists.
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SIFAX Group funded key aspects of the programme, including venue preparation, medical consumables, personal protective equipment, transportation for volunteers, publicity materials, souvenirs and other logistics.
The company said the intervention reflected its commitment to supporting community health programmes and extending quality healthcare services to communities with limited access to such facilities.
Market leaders and beneficiaries commended the organisers for bringing free dental services to the market, describing the intervention as timely and beneficial.
UADS thanked SIFAX Group for its continued sponsorship and disclosed plans for another major outreach at Aleshinloye Market in September as part of efforts to expand oral health awareness and preventive care beyond conventional clinical settings.
