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| A Cambodian mother allows her child to drink Coca-Cola from a bottle, with a straw. |
It is sad to be reminded that
the Philippines is one of the countries that have much to improve when it comes
to healthcare, more so in oral health care. According to the WHO
Ranking of Health Systems in 2000, the Philippines is at the 60th
in global rank, whereas according to the DOH, 87.4% of Filipinos suffer from
tooth decay. In the Western Pacific Region, the worst in dental care is,
ironically, Brunei. The Philippines ranks as next-to-worst in oral healthcare
in the region.
According
to Vic Medina, dean
of the University of the Philippines’ College of Dentistry, 70% of Filipinos do
not visit their dentists regularly. However, it is heartening to know that 20%
take advantage of government-provided dental services, while 10% of those who
visit dentists regularly take advantage of private dentists.
In the National Oral Health
Survey conducted in 2006, it was discovered that 97.1% of Filipino six-year-olds
suffer from tooth decay. Aside from that, 78.4% of twelve-year-old Filipinos
were found to have dental caries, 74% of twelve-year-old Filipinos suffer from gingivitis,
and 49.7% of the same demographic experienced dental infections. These
statistics are indicative of the dismal state of oral health care in the
country.
An even more disheartening
thing to note is that Filipino children are raised on soda and candy, which are
sugar-laden, and are proven to cause tooth decay. These bad eating and snacking
habits often lead to gum disease, as well.
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Top Left: A photo of a jaw with dental caries.
Top Right: A Filipina child drinking Coca-Cola from a plastic bag, with a straw. Bottom: A Cambodian mother allows her child to drink Coca-Cola from a bottle, with a straw. Inset: Candies, which may cause caries because of the sugar content. |
Oral
health is very crucial, as gum (periodontal) disease is linked
to a host of other, systemic diseases, including:
- Heart Attacks
- Strokes
- Lung Diseases
- Diabetes
- Complications of low birth weight in infants
- Breast Cancer
In short, with this dismal
rate of dental health care in the country, we can expect a whole generation to
be at risk for these diseases, including the direct effects of bad or nonexistent
dental care.
This, then, is an
indication that the DOH needs to step up on the drive to improve dental health
care in the Philippines, not to mention an impetus for the toothpaste companies
to step up on their oral health information campaigns. Hopefully, campaigns
started by companies and organizations such as Oral-B, in partnership with the
UP Dental Alumni Association, will become annual events.
More than that, parents
should be informed to discourage their children from allowing them to snack on
sweets, and possibly even sleep with sweets in their mouths. More than
anything, it’s high time to discourage the excessive consumption of sodas.
All-natural fruit juices and an increase in the intake of water would be highly
recommended.
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