Tuesday, October 10, 2007 4,700 elementary kids to brush teeth in school
TO INCREASE awareness of the importance of regular tooth brushing, more than 4,700 children of the Cebu City Central Elementary School launched the “7 o’clock Daily Tooth Brushing Habit,” which will become an everyday activity after the flag ceremony starting last Monday.
This initiative of the Department of Education (DepEd) with Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc. aims to highlight the celebration of School Children’s Oral Health Awareness Week that began Sunday.
It is complemented with oral health education in the classrooms.
Cebu City Division Physician Josephine Valencia said dental caries or tooth decay has topped the list of health-related concerns since 1994, despite the efforts of DepEd in conducting oral health talks to parents and students and the physical examinations three times a week.
She said students couldn’t perform well in school if they have tooth decay.
“Most of our students are poor. Some of them do not have toothbrushes. The beneficiaries of our Bright Smiles, Bright Future program are only Grade one to three students. As we seek assistance of private sectors, the parents also play a significant role in keeping their children healthy,” Valencia said.
Priority schools
For the last school year, the top five priority schools in the city with high dental caries prevalence are the Tejero Elementary School, Pasil Elementary School, Sawang Calero Elementary School, Ba-gong Buhay Elementary School and Mambaling Elementary School.
In Tejero alone, 2,540 pupils out of 2,719 examined have dental caries. The 2006 National Oral Health Survey showed that 97 percent of 6-year-old pupils and 78 percent 12-year-old students have dental caries.
Almost 50 percent of the children suffered from dentogenic infection, which is characterized by the presence of pulp involvement (innermost tooth structure), ulceration, fistula and abscess.
“This will certainly inflict pain, cause extreme discomfort and decrease the capacity for the child to learn. Parents and teachers shall take the lead to sustain this habit,” said Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Lorna Rances. (NRC)
