Dehai News

Today we are happy to present Dr. Nazrawi Mehari, a young dentist keen to raise awareness about his profession. Although he once  had  dreams to be an engineer , he began to devote his time and energy  to dentistry after  receiving a great score on the national matriculation exam. In 2015, he completed his degree in dentistry and was recognized for finishing with ''Great Distinction.'' since then, he has been serving his community in Massawa.

• How did you get in to dentistry, Dr. Nazrawi?

engineering, to be specific. However, the department wasn’t available at the time and I went to dentistry, my second option. I was always impressed by the technologies they used. Also, it was a new department. It is an interesting department where you connect with your patients a lot.

• Were you a good student before you went to college?

I was more into biology and math. I didn’t really give studying much thought before I went to Sawa. However, I started to be more interested in education when I got there. I got the benefit of sharing ideas and discussing with the students there. That’s why I was able to be successful in my matriculation exams. I was sure that I was going to get good grades.

• So how was college, dentistry?

The department was fascinating. It was hectic, seven years of studying hard.

• Tell us something about the teeth and how to care for it, Dr.

Well, we classify the teeth into two categories: primary dentition and permanent dentition. The primary dentition is the teeth we have from six months till thirteen years of age. And permanent dentition is what replaces it after the teeth fall off.

If we are going to talk about tooth care, everyone should start taking care of their fangs since the young age. Teeth aren’t only important to chew food; they are also important for the face structure and are helpful to get the variety of nutritional food for our body.

Our teeth are linked with the food we eat. If they are not cleaned after meals, then we provide opportunities for bacteria to form in our mouth which can be harmful and damage our teeth permanently. People start worrying and taking care of their teeth after damages are done. This is totally bad. Nothing can replace our natural teeth; artificial teeth aren’t as good as the natural ones.

If you suffer from a toothache, go to the dentist. When a toothache stops, it doesn’t mean that the tooth is cured. A person should visit a dentist at least every six months for checkups. It is better to take care of them to save them from getting completely ruined.

• How should parents assist their kids in taking care of their teeth?

They should look after their kids, at home and at school. They should check the kind of food their kids have. They should prevent children from taking sugary snacks to school as they may not be able to brush their teeth at school. Especially to kids at the age of six, parents should provide constant care.

• You are working on research projects; is that right?

I am working on two different research projects with a colleague of mine. One is going on to focus on Bell’s palsy. Most of the time people tend to go to the traditional meds for treatment. We are trying to study the meds they give out to people with Bell’s palsy and get scientific results. Another project is about the influence camel milk has on local anesthesia. For this specific research, we happen to have patients from the Northern Red sea, on whom local anesthesia, most of the time, takes longer to work during surgeries. We think it has something to do with the camel milk they regularly drink, and we are trying to come up with something definite. It has been three months since we started the research and we have six more months to go.

• Anything at last….

I want to have a moment to thank my family that has always been there for me. My success is the outcome of everyone who has supported me in any way. I am grateful to all my teachers and friends. Also, I want to express my appreciation to my wife, Kisanet Berhane, for allowing me to do this interview in the middle of our honeymoon.

I also plan to continue my post-graduate study in dentistry.