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Nearly half of children between ages five and 13 suffering from tooth decay
View(s):Dental surgeons advise parents to take care of their children’s oral health
According to a recent study, around 48 percent of the students between the ages of five and 13 are suffering from tooth decay, said Dr Champa Senanayake, dental surgeon at the Maharagama Dental Institute.
However, according to her, the number of tooth decay cases have reduced after parents resumed taking their children to dental clinics, after the country re-opened post-COVID-19 lockdown.
According to the National Oral Health report, in 2020, around 63 percent of children in the same age group were prone to tooth decay. She said information revealed by the report had been included into the circulars issued by the Health Ministry.
She made these remarks while carrying out an awareness programme for around 100 school students between the ages of five to 13 years and their parents, at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Dematagoda, Colombo 9.
The importance of taking children to dental clinics frequently was emphasised
Dr. Senanayake said the closure of dental clinics in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposing of travel restrictions had contributed to the decline of the children’s oral health.
She said the parents’ negligence towards maintaining oral hygiene too, had contributed to the decline in the children’s oral health.
She also said parents should take steps to protect children’s new baby teeth, that appeared when they were around one year, until their adult teeth appeared when they were older.
Dr Champa Senanayake addressing the awareness programme
Dr. Senanayake said 12 dental clinics had been set up in privileged schools in Colombo and they were open from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Heshani Nirodha Wanniyanayake, the dentist at Zahira College in Colombo10, said even though there were around 460 schools with dental clinics across the country, there were only around 350 dentists available to provide services.
She said they provided services to schoolchildren and also provided instruction leaflets to parents to spread awareness on how to keep children’s teeth from decaying. She said students should visit dentists regularly to keep their oral hygiene in check.
Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, dental surgeon and former Health Director General, who was also present at the awareness programme, said parents should check for dental cavities in children when they were between five to ten years of age. He said food that was too hot or cold also contributed to tooth decay, and advised the parents to make sure their children brush their teeth daily.
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