A regional office of the Department of Health has launched its oral health campaign targeting pre-school children of indigenous families, starting with Mangyan residents of Villa Pag-Asa in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro.
“This is one of our government’s promise to bring health services to far-off rural communities who have the least opportunity to take advantage of our government’s health products, services and facilities,” said DoH Mimaropa Regional Director Eduardo Janairo.
“We will not be deterred by the common excuses of poor health-seeking behavior, absence of adequate road infrastructure or lack of transportation facilities in these areas. We will bring whatever health services they need and will regularly do so with the support of our local health workers,” he added.
Janairo said the campaign is focused on the importance of early education on proper oral health routine.
At least 70 families were provided with dental check-up while at least 30 children had their decaying teeth removed.
“By training them at a young age, we can emphasize the importance of oral health care so that they can pass this on to their families. The foundation for a healthy set of permanent teeth forms during the first two years of a child,” he said.
“I urge parents to instill to their children the importance of oral hygiene. Supervise them during the brushing of their teeth while encouraging them to regularly brush after every meal,” the DoH official added.
The oral health status of Filipino children is still a major concern as shown by the National Oral Health Survey which revealed that 97.1 percent of public elementary school students or six-year-old children suffer from tooth decay.
In addition, 78.4 percent of twelve-year-old children suffer from dental cavities and 49.7 percent of the same age group manifested symptoms of infections.