‘Smile Pilipinas’ launched to promote oral health care

MANILA, Philippines - With nine in 10 Filipinos suffering from dental carries, University of the Philippines’ College of Dentistry (UPCD) alumni have embarked on a program to raise public awareness about oral health.

Dubbed “Smile Pilipinas,” the program also aims to get the government to invest more in oral health.

“Our focus is on starting and shaping the national dialogue on oral health. Very sad to say, oral health is not a priority among Filipinos. We want to change that,” said Jocelyn Tan, president and chief executive officer of Smile Pilipinas.

Alumni of the UP Dental Alumni Association in partnership with global oral care brand Oral-B launched last Friday Smile Pilipinas in line with UPCD’s 100th year.

Tan said the foundation was created to “uplift the deteriorating state of oral health in the country through an extensive campaign that enjoins the support of each and every Filipino.”

She explained that the Philippines has the second worst rate of decayed, missing and filled teeth in Asia.

UPCD dean Vic Medina III said seven in eight Filipinos “have never been to a dentist.”

Citing the National Monitoring and Evaluation Network Survey of the Department of Health in 2011, he said 87 percent or 83 million of Filipinos were suffering from tooth decay.

“Considering all children from three to five years old, 98 percent have early childhood carries. And a lot of the time, it is set aside because it is only baby teeth,” he said.

Medina lamented that while oral health “is simply not a priority” among the Filipinos, it could lead to various health complications.

“It is unforgivable if a child complaining of constant ache in the tummy is not brought to a doctor. But problems with our mouth are not treated with same importance as other health concerns,” he said.

Even in basic hygiene, oral health is not a priority to most parents.

He cautioned that periodontitis, a serious gum infection, “is linked to higher incidences of heart disease and diabetes.”

“What we need to remember is oral health is part of overall health. The body is an interconnected system and the mouth cannot be separated from the rest of the body,” Medina said.