Oral health events offer reason to smile
Global oral health program plans to involve 3,000 children in China
A series of educational oral health events will be launched in China as a part of the global dental care program Smile Around the World, and more than 3,000 children will be involved, said the organizers at the opening ceremony in Kunming, Yunnan province.
The project was initiated by the FDI World Dental Federation, organized by the China Stomatological Association and supported by global manufacturing and production company 3M.
Speaking on Mar 20 — the World Oral Health Day— Gerhard Seeberger, head of the FDI World Dental Federation, explained that the aim is to increase awareness among children around the world to prevent dental caries, and also help parents to better guide their children.
“The risk of dental caries can be largely reduced with proper prevention and treatment, and that is our purpose,” said Seeberger.
The same day as the program’s opening ceremony, an oral health lecture was held at the Primary School Affiliated with Yunnan Normal University.
During the lecture, children read pamphlets produced by the FDI World Dental Federation. They also practiced brushing their teeth under the guidance of teachers and volunteer dentists.
“We are working on the design of educational events that are interesting and engaging to students, so we can empower children to prioritize their oral health and offer parents guidance to support them on this journey, thus preventing oral diseases from an early age,” Seeberger added.
A series of similar events will be held in Shaanxi province and the Ningxia Hui autonomous region from March to June.
Yu Guangyan, president of the Chinese Somatological Association, said: “Tooth decay in Chinese children is becoming more common, and it is getting worse in rural areas compared with cities.
“Therefore, strengthening oral health education efforts and helping children have good hygiene from an early age is imperative.”
According to a report from the World Health Organization, dental decay is the most common issue affecting children’s health. About 60 to 90 percent of school pupils in industrialized countries have caries.
Yu added that by last September, about 70.9 percent of five-year-old children in China were found to have dental caries, a 5.8 percentage points increase than that of ten years ago. For 12-year-old children, the number was 34.5, a 7.8 percentage points increase.
“The number is still rising,” Yu said. “We look forward to more cooperation from companies and organizations in different fields.” Yu added.
“In that way, we can fully utilize each other’s strengths and better promote dental care in China.”
3M announced at the opening ceremony that it will donate preventive medical products for caries and other oral diseases to the program.
Shen Ning, general manager of 3M Healthcare Business Group in China, said the company is making efforts to offer better dental products and it is hoping to see more active awareness of oral disease prevention among the public.