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CHENNAI: Health minister Ma Subramanian and Minister of School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi inaugurated Smile-School Children's Dental Care Programme at Nandanam Government Model School on Thursday.

A mobile dental clinic was also set up at the school to conduct a dental check up of the students and provide required treatment.

The mobile clinic will also promote the "No Tobacco" campaign and educational materials were also given to the students.

Health minister said that the department, along with the school education department has started a programme called Smile which will be useful for screening school children and creating awareness about oral diseases, tooth decay, gum problems and finding solutions.

Through this project, more than 4 lakh students studying in 6th, 7th and 8th classes in Tamil Nadu will be given dental check-ups.

He said that as per a study by Madras University, Greater Chennai Corporation and medical colleges, an approximately 50 percent to 60 percent of children between 5 to 15 years of age in India have dental problems.

So this effort has been made to prevent these diseases and to treat them. The check up will be done for each school, especially government schools and local bodies, municipal schools as well as government-aided schools, through this mobile dental vehicle.

"After the tests for 54,000 students studying in Chennai are over, the tests will continue to be conducted for the students in all the schools in Tamil Nadu with the financial contribution of the National Health Mission," he added.