(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
BEYOND “Doctors to the Barrio”, it is also time to field “Dentists to the Barrio”.
There is an urgent need to bring dental health care not only to the general population but also to underserved, remote, rural areas.
Oral diseases are among the most common public health issues in the Philippines that have significant socio-economic impacts and yet is frequently neglected in public health policy.
Oral disease is not only expensive in terms of out-of-pocket expenses. It is a major burden as well to a public health system that is already challenged by other health issues.
Because it means good overall health, good oral health means less burden on the public health system.
As a modifiable non-communicable disease that can be treated at the early stages, oral health issues depend on the right public health policy regarding sugar consumption, tobacco use, alcohol use, poor hygiene, and their underlying social and commercial determinants.
The association of oral health to other medical conditions is clear: from cardiovascular diseases to diabetes to cognitive performance and many other diseases.
The prevalence and severity of oral diseases disproportionally affect the poor and socially disadvantaged.
The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that more than nine in 10 or 92.4 percent of Filipinos have dental caries or tooth decay.
The DOH says that 97 percent of six-year-old children suffer from tooth decay.
These are extremely horrifying numbers: nine in 10 Filipinos have at least one decayed tooth. Nearly all (97 percent) Filipino children aged six suffer from dental caries.
A study conducted by the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila, citing the DOH National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey of 2011, shows a 87.4 percent prevalence of dental caries (cavities) among Filipinos and a 48.3 percent for periodontal or gum disease.
The DOH declares that oral health is “fundamental to overall health, well-being and quality of life”. It puts it succinctly: “a healthy mouth enables people to eat, speak and socialize without pain, discomfort or embarrassment.”
It begins with the first bite until old age, encompassing the range of quality life, from nutrition to education to social interaction.
Tooth decay and gum diseases are the two most common oral health diseases affecting Filipinos. Based on the DOH’s 2011 National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey, nearly nine of 10 (87.4 percent) Filipinos are suffering from dental caries while nearly half (48.3 percent) has gum disease.
Oral diseases, while largely preventable, pose a major health burden. For many Filipinos, it’s a lifetime cause of pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.
Oral diseases are caused by a range of modifiable risk factors common to many non-communicable diseases: sugar consumption, tobacco use, alcohol abuse and poor hygiene.
It is well established that oral diseases and the other major non-communicable diseases share the same social determinants and common modifiable risk factors such as unhealthy diets – high in sugar, tobacco and alcohol use. This is why a cross-disciplinary approach is appropriate for oral health care.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
