CEBU, Philippines - The latest National Oral Health Survey revealed that 89.9 percent of Grade One pupils in Central Visayas are having dental caries commonly called as tooth decay. About 69.7 percent of pupils 12 years old or those in Grade Six suffer the disease.
Records from the Department of Education shows that nationwide, dental caries prevalence has reached 97 percent among Grade One pupils while 82 percent among Grade Six.
Region 7 has the lowest prevalence among regions in the country but the figures will tell that dental caries is still a major problem that needs major attention.
Dental caries is a disease which causes destruction of teeth by acid-forming bacteria. With millions of bacteria living in a person’s mouth, they accumulate along with saliva, food particles and other natural substances on the surface of the teeth in a sticky film called plaque.
DepEd-7 health and nutrition unit supervising dentist Dr. Berna Ysulan said that dental caries has always been the problem of most pupils. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, infection and in severe cases, death.
Due to the risks it imposes, DepEd stressed the importance of proper oral hygiene among children.
Ysulan said that the best way to solve this is to go back to the basic, which is educating pupils on how to take care of their teeth through correct oral hygiene. She said the training should start at home.
She said parents should always encourage their children to brush their teeth after eating. The diet should also be monitored especially in the consumption of sweet foods.
In school, teachers were encouraged to allow their pupils to join the seven o’clock tooth brushing habit launched by DepEd to help them develop the habit of tooth brushing.
Schools are also encouraged to install comfort rooms and hand wash sink units in each classroom for pupils’ convenience. All of these are advocacies of the Essential Health Care Package of the DepEd.
The program assures that each student are being educated on the basic hygiene to improve their health condition and, in turn, improve their performance in school. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM (THE FREEMAN)