Preventive health drive combines AI-assisted dental screening, nutrition awareness, oral hygiene education for school and college-going girls
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Sept 28: Safe Hands Dental Health and Awareness Centre organised an extensive oral and holistic health awareness and dental screening programme for 100 girls enrolled with the National Cadet Corps (NCC), combining AI-assisted dental screening with preventive dentistry education, nutritional awareness and practical guidance on maintaining long-term health.
The programme, held at Safe Hands Dental Health and Awareness Centre at Baghat Chowk, Srinagar, was organised under the Centre’s ongoing “Reaching the Unreached” campaign and was conducted in coordination with the 9 J&K Girls Battalion NCC, Goji Bagh, Srinagar. The initiative brought together NCC cadets from schools and colleges and provided them an opportunity to undergo dental screening while also participating in sessions designed to improve their understanding of oral hygiene, nutrition and preventive healthcare.
The participation of the NCC cadets was formally coordinated through an official communication issued by the 9 J&K Girls Battalion NCC. The communication, addressed to Dr. Tieeka Rashid, CEO/MD, Safe Hands Dental Health and Awareness Centre, Baghat, Srinagar, detailed the participation of 100 girl cadets in the free dental check-up programme.
According to the communication, the cadets were divided into two groups based on their age and educational background to facilitate the screening and ensure that the programme could be conducted in an organised manner.
The first group comprised 45 girl cadets in the 17-to-20 age group, drawn from colleges. They were scheduled to attend the programme from 11 am to 12 noon.
The second group comprised 55 girl cadets aged 13 to 16 years, drawn from schools, with their session scheduled from 12 noon to 1 pm.
The official communication stated that the 100 cadets were planned to attend the programme in two groups on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after the NCC unit informed Safe Hands that it would not be able to send cadets on September 25 as initially planned.
The letter, signed by Col. Sharad Sharma, Commanding Officer, provided the detailed age-wise and institution-wise breakup of the cadets and formally conveyed the revised arrangements for the free dental check-up programme.
The participation of 100 school and college-going girls gave the initiative a particularly important preventive healthcare dimension, as the programme addressed two distinct age groups at a stage when oral hygiene practices, dietary habits and general health behaviour can have lasting implications.
The event was inaugurated by Col. Sharad Sharma, CO, Girls Wing, NCC unit Srinagar, who highlighted the importance of initiatives that bring health awareness and preventive care closer to young people.
The programme formed part of Safe Hands Dental Health and Awareness Centre’s broader “Reaching the Unreached” social initiative, which has been conducting health awareness activities in educational institutions and among different sections of society with the objective of encouraging early detection and preventive healthcare.
The campaign has partnered with schools, colleges and other organisations to promote awareness about oral health and the importance of seeking professional advice before minor dental problems develop into more serious conditions.
The latest programme extended that approach to NCC cadets, providing them not only with dental screening but also with practical information that could help them develop healthier habits in their daily lives.
The proceedings began with an introductory session conducted by Dr. Mumin Rashid, campaign head, Awareness Division, Safe Hands Dentistry, who explained the objectives of the “Reaching the Unreached” campaign and outlined its various outreach activities and milestones.
Dr. Mumin explained the importance of preventive dentistry and stressed that maintaining oral health should not begin only after the appearance of pain or other symptoms. Regular dental examinations, proper brushing, appropriate dietary choices and timely professional consultation are important components of preventive oral healthcare.
A practical demonstration of correct toothbrushing techniques was also conducted during the programme, enabling the cadets to understand how everyday oral hygiene practices can be improved.
The organisers sought to make the session interactive rather than limiting it to a conventional lecture, with practical demonstrations aimed at helping the young participants translate health advice into everyday habits.
A separate session focused on nutrition and the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods among young people. Rina Ojeda, Holistic Health Coach, spoke about dietary habits, food marketing and the psychological factors that can influence consumption patterns.
Ojeda discussed the manner in which highly processed food products are designed and marketed to make them particularly appealing to consumers, potentially encouraging repeated consumption and making it difficult for individuals to maintain balanced dietary patterns.
She highlighted the importance of understanding food choices beyond taste and convenience and encouraged the cadets to pay greater attention to the nutritional quality of the food they consume.
The session also examined the difference between whole foods and heavily processed products, with emphasis on the role of balanced nutrition in supporting physical health, energy levels and overall well-being.
The discussion was particularly relevant for adolescent and young adult participants, as dietary patterns developed during these years can influence eating habits and lifestyle choices later in life.
The organisers also drew attention to the psychological dimension of food consumption, explaining how advertising, packaging, convenience and other behavioural triggers can influence food preferences and encourage overconsumption of certain products.
The nutritional awareness component therefore complemented the dental screening by addressing one of the important lifestyle factors associated with oral health as well as general well-being.
The principal clinical component of the programme was the AI-assisted dental screening, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Tieeka Rashid, Clinical Director of Safe Hands
Dental Health and Awareness Centre.
The use of artificial intelligence-enabled technology allowed the participating cadets to undergo rapid dental screening and helped the clinical team identify potential early-stage dental concerns requiring attention.
The initiative demonstrated how technology can be integrated into preventive healthcare outreach, particularly in programmes involving large groups of young participants.
Instead of limiting the exercise to awareness, the organisers combined education with actual screening, allowing the cadets to receive individualised information about their oral health.
The use of AI-assisted technology also introduced the young participants to newer developments in dentistry and demonstrated the increasing role of digital tools in supporting dental professionals in screening and early identification of possible conditions.
The organisers, however, positioned the technology as part of a broader clinical process, with professional dental assessment and appropriate follow-up remaining important wherever a potential concern is identified.
The programme’s two-group structure also enabled the organisers to tailor the exercise to school and college-going participants. The younger group of 55 school cadets, aged 13 to 16 years, attended between noon and 1 pm, while the 45 college cadets, aged 17 to 20 years, attended between 11 am and noon.
The formal participation plan prepared by the NCC unit reflected the importance attached to ensuring that the cadets could attend the programme without disrupting their institutional schedules while allowing the organisers to manage the screening process efficiently.
The involvement of the 9 J&K Girls Battalion NCC also added a community-service and youth-development dimension to the initiative. NCC cadets are regularly engaged in activities centred on discipline, leadership, social responsibility and community participation, making health awareness an important extension of their broader development.
By focusing on young women from both schools and colleges, the programme created an opportunity to introduce preventive healthcare concepts at an early stage and encourage participants to take greater responsibility for their oral and general health.
Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Tieeka Rashid said the objective of the “Reaching the Unreached” campaign was to narrow the gap between advanced clinical care and preventive health education.
“Our mission with the ‘Reaching the Unreached’ campaign is to bridge the gap between advanced clinical care and preventative health education. By pairing AI diagnostic tools with holistic guidance on nutrition, we empower young cadets to make informed decisions for long-term health,” she said.
The initiative also highlighted the changing nature of community healthcare, where screening, awareness and technology can be brought together instead of treating healthcare solely as a response to illness.
For the cadets, the programme offered exposure to modern dental technology alongside basic but important lessons about oral hygiene and nutrition. For the organisers, it provided an opportunity to extend the “Reaching the Unreached” campaign to a large group of young participants through an organised institutional partnership.
The organisers said preventive dentistry remains an important component of overall healthcare and that greater awareness among young people can encourage early consultations and reduce the likelihood of avoidable dental complications.
The programme also reinforced the importance of regular dental check-ups, appropriate oral hygiene practices and informed dietary choices, particularly at a time when young people are increasingly exposed to processed and convenience foods.
With 100 NCC girl cadets from schools and colleges participating in the programme, the initiative represented a significant outreach exercise combining clinical screening, health education and awareness in a single platform.
The collaboration between Safe Hands Dental Health and Awareness Centre and the 9 J&K Girls Battalion NCC demonstrated how healthcare institutions and youth organisations can work together to promote preventive health practices among younger generations.
The “Reaching the Unreached” campaign is expected to continue its engagement with educational institutions and community organisations, with the latest NCC programme adding another chapter to its efforts to take dental awareness, screening and preventive health education beyond conventional clinical settings.
