Dental health: Experts call for strengthening community awareness
Health experts called for increasing community awareness on oral health and prevention of dental diseases at a meeting organised by the National Hospital of Odonto and Stomalogy (NHOS) on March 20.
Dentists provide free dental examination and consultation to students in Hai Duong province on World Oral Health Day, March 20 (Photo courtesy of NHOS)
Hanoi (VNA) - Health experts called for increasing community awareness on oral health andprevention of dental diseases at a meeting organised by the National Hospitalof Odonto and Stomalogy (NHOS) on March20.
Speaking at the event held to celebrate theWorld Oral Health Day, March 20, NHOS DirectorTrinh Dinh Hai urged moreattention to dental and oral health of the community, especially children.
“Over 90 percent of Vietnamese suffer fromdental diseases and 85 percent of Vietnamese children have tooth decay. Many dental andoral diseases can cause nephritis syndrome or joint arthritis," Hai stressed.
“It would be very costly to provide dental andoral disease treatment for the whole community due to the country’s high prevalencerate. Therefore, preventive activities are the most important measure,” hesaid.
“A pilot project has shown safe and effectiveresults of using fluoridised salt to prevent dental decay of the community inmountainous LaoCai province since 2011. Expandingthe project soon to all provinces and cities nationwide is an important measurein preventing dental and oral diseases for the 90 million people of Vietnam,” Haisaid.
He suggested dentists and relevant authoritiesexpand the school dental programme to protect dental health of students and tomaintain the fluoridised water supply progamme, which has achieved remarkableresults in dental decay prevention in HCM City since the early1990s.
To mark the day, the health sector willundertake a series of activities nationwide with a focus on strengtheningcommunity awareness, especially targeting dental and oral healthcare ofchildren. Dentists will provide free dental examination and consultation to thecommunity, particularly at schools in tens of provinces and cities nationwide.
Several hospitals will provide free surgery tochildren with cleft lip and cleft palate in the country. NHOS willalso donate dental chairs, medical tools and material to 15 primary schools inVinh Phuc,Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces.
A survey by NHOS found that two-thirds ofchildren aged between six and 14 have never undergone a dental check-up.
Worse still, 100 percent of primary schoolstudents are not in the habit of brushing their teeth three times a day. Thereis one dentist in Vietnam for 25,000 people, whereas in developed countries the rate is one per1,000-2,000 people.-VNA
Health problems, such as scoliosis, short-sightedness, obesity, dental diseases and mental disorders, among school-age children have become more rampant in Vietnam.
An international scientific seminar on odonto – stomatology is taking place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, attracting over 200 leading doctors and dentists at home and abroad.
Over 90 percent of Vietnamese suffer from dental disease and 85 per cent of Vietnamese children have tooth decay, according to the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology.
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Dentists provide free dental examination and consultation to students in Hai Duong province on World Oral Health Day, March 20 (Photo courtesy of NHOS) 
