Abstract The objective of the study was to highlight the grave consequences of poor oral hygiene. The researcher himself, a primary health care campaigner, used the ordeals of an 18 year old victim of Dental plaque as a case study to drive home his point about the importance of preventive healthcare. The patient was an academically sound but unemployed secondary school leaver from a very poor family in the rural community of Obiaruku, Delta State, Nigeria. He suffered from dental plague which progressed to full blown dental decay. Failure to heed advice to obtain proper medical care from a dentist; his resort to self-medication; and his visits to native doctors to seek relief worsened his pathological condition. His case became cancerous and he suffered from Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). His life was now on the line. It took a combination of surgery, chemo and radiotherapy; as well as financial support from organisations and individuals to save his life. The study underscores the importance of good dental care. Recommendations include proper brushing and washing of the teeth after every meal; as well as routine visits to a dentist for dental checkup, at least once in six months
