South Cotabato Philippines – Local dental association in South Cotabato initiated an oral health awareness campaign, focusing on the importance of children’s milk teeth. The president of Association of dentists and dental aides Dr. Josef Ledda, a dentist from Tupi town, said 956 kindergarten pupils attended the oral campaign program.
In order to develop a child’s overall oral and general health, the maintenance of healthy primary teeth is important. Ledda emphasized that the primary source of information on child rearing and healthy habits for children, which is likely to have a lasting influence in establishing their oral health status, shall be parents and family members.
“Our aim is to make mothers be more aware on how to look into the growth of their children’s teeth and how to care for their oral hygiene,” he said.
Ledda emphasized that when parents don’t start at an early age to care for their children’s milk teeth there will be different complications that they will face later in the future as they grow older such as pain, oral infections, problems in eating and sleeping, it could also result in malnutrition and alterations in growth and development and probably early loss of teeth, and many of these long-term effects like malalignment of permanent teeth and increased risk of malocclusion later on life.
The members of the dental association in South Cotabato presented a series of lectures and provided Fluoride Varnish Treatment. It is a dental treatment that can help prevent tooth decay, slow it down or stop it from getting worse.
“We can say that Fluoride varnish treatment is not the ultimate but it is way to start a journey to healthy looking milk teeth for kids and a better growth in the oral hygiene,” Ledda added. (Reports from Lydia Ketochi, PIO Intern)
