A total of 290 children below five years, visited the Dental Department of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in 2013, as against 277 the previous year..

Dr. Mrs. Bertha Owusu, Head of the Dental Department said the total number of out- patient department (opd) attendance, however, reduced as 4,131 clients were received in 2013 as compared to 4,758 clients in 2012

She made this known at the end of a two-day Annual Performance Conference of the Hospital in Cape Coast.

The Review Conference was attended by representatives from the Regional Health Directorate, the Oguaa Traditional Council, the University of Cape Coast Medical School (UCC-MS), Management members, Heads of Departments, and medical and non-medical staff.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu said out of the 4,131 cases received, 235 were detained, with 82 of them coming from the Accident and Emergency Ward, whilst 26 came from the Paediatrics Ward.

She said 1,108 extractions, 362 restorations, 113 prosthodontics, 109 major and 40 minor surgeries, as well as 18 scaling and polishing, were performed at the Dental Department.

Dr Mrs Owusu explained that 860 dental caries, 538 abscesses, 466 periodontal diseases, 368 retained roots, and 137 Pericoronitis cases were also diagnosed at the Department.

She said the Department, as part of its 2014 plans, is to educate clients on their treatment needs, provide treatment accordingly and encourage restorative treatment.

The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital was built in 1998 as a modern/Regional Hospital for the Central Region, but it is being transformed into a Teaching Hospital with an additional mandate of the training of doctors.