Media Release
Mangaluru, Sep 17: In a major push toward preventive paediatric healthcare, the department of public health dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, in collaboration with The Yenepoya School, officially launched the BrushYen Program today, September 16th.
The inauguration of the supervised tooth-brushing initiative took place at The Yenepoya School Auditorium. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of quality education and good health and well-being, the programme aims to instil lifelong oral hygiene habits in children from their earliest formative years.
The high-profile event drew several eminent personalities from academia and industry including Dr Sunil S Chiplunkar, vice president Group Pharmaceutical, Bangalore, Dr Laxmikanth Chatra, principal, Yenepoya Dental College, Dr Sham S Bhat, dean - faculty of dentistry, Anthony Joseph, associate director, The Yenepoya School and Uzwal Menezes, principal of The Yenepoya School.
Speaking as the guest of honour, Dr Laxmikanth Chatra, principal of Yenepoya Dental College, emphasized that educational and medical institutions hold a shared academic and social responsibility to advance public health. He engaged the audience on the vital importance of maintaining robust dental hygiene from a young age to prevent long-term complications.
A major milestone of the event was the official launch of the BrushYen website, introduced by Dr Imran Pasha M, head of the department of public health dentistry. Dr Imran outlined the initiative's strategic objectives and long-term implementation plans and also urged the use of the websites - www.brushyen.weebly.com to access the details on the initiative.
Moving swiftly from strategy to action, the ceremony concluded with a live, practical demonstration of supervised tooth brushing using fluoridated toothpaste. Driven by the philosophy of building healthy habits early, the dental outreach team immediately commenced operations, visiting the preschool students at the Akshara House of Children—the preschool wing of The Yenepoya School.
The launch of the BrushYen programme marks a significant, collaborative milestone for the region, seamlessly bridging the gap between the healthcare sector and foundational education to foster a healthier future generation.