More than 100 traders and residents of New Gbagi Market in Ibadan have benefited from a free dental outreach sponsored by SIFAX Group in partnership with the University of Ibadan Association of Dental Students (UADS).
The community-based initiative, organised under the Committee on Dental Education and Health (CODEH), provided participants with free dental consultations, oral health education and basic medical screenings aimed at improving access to healthcare among underserved populations.
A total of 101 people received comprehensive dental consultations after an initial registration of about 130 participants. Beneficiaries also underwent free blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI) assessments, while 30 people with identified oral health conditions received professional scaling and polishing procedures.
The outreach formed part of SIFAX Group’s broader commitment to promoting community health interventions and expanding access to quality healthcare services.
Speaking during the programme, President of the University of Ibadan Association of Dental Students, Patrick Okelue, commended SIFAX Group for its continued support and expressed appreciation to residents and traders in the market for their cooperation.
According to him, available data indicated that fewer than half of the adult population in Ibadan possess adequate knowledge of oral health, while only 22.1 per cent of those with such knowledge had accessed dental services within the previous year.
He explained that the outreach was designed to bridge the knowledge gap and increase awareness of the importance of oral healthcare.
“Available medical data show that less than half of the total adult population in this city had adequate knowledge of oral health, while only 22.1 per cent of those who were aware had utilised any form of dental service in the past year, indicating a significant knowledge gap. To close that gap is why we are here today”, he said.
Okelue also acknowledged SIFAX Group as a longstanding partner of the association, noting that the company’s sponsorship made this year’s programme possible.
He added that participants benefited from oral health education, medical screenings and direct consultations with dental professionals, while those requiring specialised care received referrals and treatment.
To facilitate the exercise, SIFAX Group funded several critical components of the programme, including venue preparation, medical consumables, personal protective equipment, transportation for volunteers, publicity materials, souvenirs and other logistics.
More than 60 student volunteers from the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital participated in the exercise, working alongside six clinical supervisors drawn from the institution’s Departments of Periodontology and Community Dentistry.
Following an extensive awareness campaign across the market, participants were registered and screened before proceeding to consultation stations, where dental students conducted oral examinations under professional supervision.
In addition to receiving oral hygiene counselling and referrals for further treatment where necessary, participants were also given complimentary toothpaste.
One of the major highlights of the programme was an interactive oral health education session delivered in both English and Yoruba by a final-year dental student. The session featured practical demonstrations of proper tooth-brushing techniques and provided participants with an opportunity to ask questions about maintaining healthy oral hygiene practices.
The scaling and polishing procedures were carried out by final-year dental students under the supervision of six qualified dentists, with organisers maintaining strict compliance with infection prevention and patient safety protocols.
At the conclusion of the outreach, traders and market leaders described the intervention as timely and impactful, commending SIFAX Group and the student organisers for bringing free oral healthcare services directly to their community.
The association also expressed optimism about sustaining the partnership, revealing plans for a second mega dental outreach scheduled for Aleshinloye Market in September as part of ongoing efforts to extend oral health awareness beyond conventional clinical settings.