Cambodia’s efforts to improve oral health through primary school education

CAMBODIA, Apr 2007 - The Cambodian Dental Association (CDA) completed year one of a three-year oral health prevention and education programme, which focused on the primary schools in Phnom Penh City in March 2007.

Oral health education programmes in primary schools were in place prior to the current one from 1992-2003 with the support from various NGOs. Unfortunately, these programmes came to a stop four years ago due to a shortage of educational materials. Studies showed that overall oral health amongst the children in the schools with the oral health education programmes were better than the oral health of those in schools without the programmes. As a result, the CDA was eager to reinstate an oral health education programme amongst primary school children.

The CDA is accomplishing this through the support of the joint FDI and Unilever’s Live.Learn.Laugh. programme, which aims to increase oral health education and promotion around the world.

"The partnership of the Cambodian Dental Association with the FDI and Unilever has produced outstanding results in improving the oral health knowledge of our children and in changing their attitudes," said Dr Lay Vuthy, President-Elect of the Cambodian Dental Association. "The involvement of Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education will contribute to make the project sustainable for the future."

To further encourage and promote the programme, competitions were conducted amongst both the schools and the students. Schools were judged on how well they cooperated with the visiting dentists, how well the students paid attention during the education programmes, how well they reinforced and implemented what was taught by the dentists, and also the implementation of additional oral health promotion programmes within their schools. For the students, a drawing competition was conducted on the topic of oral health.

In addition to the general oral health promotion and education efforts of the programme, data is being collected at the schools. The data will be used to evaluate the programme. The CDA hopes that the education programme will lead to improved oral health and also a positive attitude and behaviour change towards oral health by the children. It also hopes to expand the programme to more primary schools in Phnom Penh and to other provinces in the remaining two years of the programme.

British Dental Association joins up with Department of Health on Tobacco Cessation Efforts

GREAT BRITAIN, Apr 2007 - Tobacco is harmful to oral health as well as general health and is a major risk factor for oral cancer. The British Dental Association (BDA) is keen that dentists and their teams support those of their patients who are motrivated to stop smoking.

The BDA is represented on the country’s Department of Health working group that is currently developing guidance for the dental team on smoking cessation. This guidance is expected to be published later this year and will form a supplement to "Choosing Better Oral Health - an Oral Health Plan for England" (DoH, 2005).

The FDI interviewed the BDA and the Dept of Health about the upcoming publication.

What prompted the Department of Health to prepare supplement on smoking cessation to the guide "Choosing Better Oral Health" and what is the significance of this supplement?

The common risk factor approach is fundamental to the Department's approach to oral health promotion. Smoking is a risk factor for gum disease and oral cancer. There are people who visit dental practices who do not regularly access any other part of the health service. Dentists and members of the dental team are well placed to give advice on smoking cessation as they are working in the oral cavity.

Can you provide any information about the content or key points that this supplement will cover about smoking cessation?

Dentists are advised to enquire about the smoking status of all their patients and assess if they are motivated to quit and if so refer them to the local stop smoking service. Or, if patients specifically want the support from the dental practice, the practice is advised to collaborate with the stop smoking service to see if a member of the dental team can be trained to deliver support. This might lead to selected dental practices becoming part of the local stop smoking service.

What impact do you foresee the supplement as having on the improvement of oral health for the population?

It will be hard to isolate the effect from the other initiatives the government is taking to reduce smoking, but the guidance is supported by policy makers on smoking, who are confident there will be benefits.

In general, what kind of impact has "Choosing Better Oral Health" had on the improvement of the oral health for the population?

"Choosing Better Oral Health" was produced to support changes in the commissioning of primary care services, which were intended to switch the emphasis of the services from treatment to prevention. From April 2006, the national 'item for service' system of paying dentists was replaced by local contracting with individual dental practices. It's too early to assess the implications at this stage but there is evidence of a new interest in prevention in some areas.

Have there been any promotional activities planned for the launch of this guide?

Yes, the guidance will be launched at the BDA conference in Harrogate, England on Friday, 25 May, by the Chief Dental Officer for England.

In addition to the publications that you had mentioned, is BDA involved in other activities related to smoking cessation?

No other specific activities at the moment, but we hope in the near future to do a follow up to some BDA research carried out in 2002 (published in January 2006 - NW Johnson, JC Lowe & KAAS Warnakulasuriya, Br Dent J, 2006, 200, 85-89), which looked at dentists attitudes to and involvement with tobacco cessation activities.

However, the BDA was involved in the development of two resources in recent years: "Helping smokers to stop: the guide for the dental team" and “STOP SMOKING! Save your mouth...and your life".

The FDI would like to thank Dr Claire Lowe, Senior Policy Officer of the BDA, Professor Richard Watt, author of the guidance, and Mr Jerry Read, from the Dept of Health, for their time and input on this interview. For more information about the role that the dental team can play in smoking cessation please contact Mr Read at +44 (0)20 7633 4132 or Jerry.Read@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

Please click here for information about the FDI's efforts in tobacco cessation.

American Dental Association Statement on the Death of Deamonte Driver

CHICAGO, 02 Mar 2007 - The following was issued by the American Dental Association:

We are deeply saddened at the apparently avoidable death of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, Prince George's County, Md., from a severe brain infection that may have resulted from his deplorable degree of untreated dental disease.

This is an extreme example of what then-Surgeon General David Satcher called a "silent epidemic" of untreated oral disease in his landmark report on oral health in 2000.

Deamonte's death should be a wake-up call to the nation. It is a national disgrace that in the 21st Century America, millions of children don't have access to basic preventive and restorative dental care. Thousands of these kids suffer from profound dental disease -- they can't eat or sleep properly, can't pay attention in school because they're suffering from chronic infections and the resulting constant pain that could have been prevented and easily relieved through treatment.

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said that if you don't have good oral health, you aren't healthy. Increasingly, science is bearing this out. Good oral health isn't just about teeth and gums. It's about overall health, about preventing and controlling non-oral diseases, about learning and development, self-esteem and employability. And it's everyone's business, not just dentists'.

It's time for action to prevent the next child's needless death; to end society's neglect of the oral health of the most vulnerable among us. Dentists can lead the way, but we can't do this alone. We need state and federal public officials to stop shortchanging dental programs, which costs all of us heavily in the long run. We need water fluoridation and the universal availability of preventive care, both of which are surefire investments that produce healthier, more productive young people. And we need to educate all parents about taking care of their children's oral health.

It's too late for Deamonte Driver. We as a nation owe it to our children to fix the system that let him down.

Partnership Furthers Children's Oral Health Education

Mar 2007 - Almost half of New Zealand's five-year-olds have at least one cavity.

The New Zealand Dental Association (a member association of the FDI), the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, and Colgate-Palmolive New Zealand launched Families Combat Cavities Month, a programme designed to build good oral health habits from an early age.

The partnership team believes it is essential to build good oral health habits early in life to help New Zealand's children develop strong teeth and gums for adulthood. They say the programme provides a great platform for getting the message out there.

In addition to Families Combat Cavities month, the partnership involves the three organisations working together on a long-term strategic programme designed to help find solutions for New Zealand's growing oral health issues, primarily through the delivery of education and expertise.

Plunket CEO Paul Baigent agrees the partnership provides a good opportunity to build on Plunket's on-going parental education and support. "In our experience parents are keen to get information. Being able to provide specific oral health information targeted to the needs of children at different ages is extremely useful to help build good dental health habits for children early in life."

Dr David Crum, Executive Director of the New Zealand Dental Association recommends parents should talk to their dentist, to the school dental therapist or approach the dental association directy, for further advice regarding oral health, as all are intensely interested in improving our children's teeth.

Source: New Zealand Dental Association

Experts confirm the benefits of fluoride for dental health

30 Nov 2006 - A panel of experts on fluoride urged government and other influential bodies during the Global Consultation on "Oral Health through Fluoride" to develop effective legislation, necessary directives and programmes to ensure access to fluoride for dental health in all countries.

In the declaration, the world experts expressed "their concern about growing disparities in dental health and the lack of progress in tackling the worldwide burden of tooth decay (dental caries), particularly in disadvantaged populations" The 80 experts on fluoride from 30 countries emphatically made clear that "prevention by using fluoride is the only realistic way of reducing this burden in populations."

"The benefits of fluoride for the prevention and control of dental caries have been known to the scientific and public health community for more than 60 years. It is estimated that globally only 20 percent of the world's population benefit from appropriate exposure to fluoride," said Dr Poul Erik Petersen, Chief of the Oral Health Unit at the World Health Organization (WHO). "Regrettably, particularly people living in developing countries and disadvantaged communities are deprived of fluoride for dental health."

The consultation, jointly organised by the FDI World Dental Federation, the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and the WHO, aimed to consider the actions needed to effectively reduce the global burden of dental caries. It draws on the alliance’s range and areas of expertise: the FDI is the unified voice of oral health professionals around the world; the IADR advances research for the improvement of oral health worldwide; and the WHO, the accepted leader in global health matters, advises governmental bodies throughout the world.

"The FDI fully supports the promotion of fluoride worldwide. Representing nearly one million dentists worldwide, the FDI will use the strong messages from the experts and translate them into tangible advice for all oral health professionals," said Dr JT Barnard, Executive Director of the FDI.

"It is very important that research knowledge is translated into tangible action because this is the only realistic way to improve oral health at a worldwide scale," added Prof J.M. ten Cate, Vice President of the IADR.

The adopted declaration will guide the work of the alliance and various international action groups that were established during the consultation.

FDI makes 700 new Friends

14 Nov 2006 - The updated FDI Friends programme was officially launched at the FDI Annual World Dental Congress (AWDC) in Shenzhen, China in September. The programme was introduced to the 220 delegates from the almost 100 countries that attended the General Assembly. Visitors to the FDI World Dental Exhibition were also given the opportunity to join FDI Friends onsite at the FDI Pavilion.

As a result of the FDI Friends promotion at the congress, the FDI made 700 new Friends. A lucky winner was selected out of the FDI Friends registrants at the congress. Congratulations to Amur Al-Hajri of Oman, who will receive a free registration to the 2007 FDI AWDC in Dubai.

"The FDI Friends programme connects individuals with the oral health development and promotion activities taking place around the world. It further provides them with the opportunity to contribute to these causes. The FDI is very proud of the recent increase and success in its development and health promotion projects. Through FDI Friends, we hope to share the progress and results of our efforts at the community level," said Dr Habib Benzian, FDI Development and Public Health Manager.

Update on the FDI/WHO joint publication, "Tobacco or Oral Health"

13 Nov 2006 - The international reaction to-date to the joint FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization’s "Tobacco or Oral Health: An Advocacy Guide for Oral Health Professionals" has been very positive. The publication, which highlights tobacco facts and a large number of wide-ranging recommendations to help health professionals move the tobacco control agenda forward, is now in its second print run.

Translations of the publication have been very popular as well. Portuguese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese versions of the guide were launched this year. Other language translations are also in preparation or under discussion, including Brazilian Portuguese, French, Italian and Vietnamese.

In China, the FDI launched the Chinese translations (Mandarin and simplified Chinese) during the World Dental Development & Health Promotion Forum dedicated to tobacco in September. During the launch, the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health donated 3,000 copies of the publication to the Chinese Stomatological Association. The Portuguese version was launched in Lisbon during the 2006 World No Tobacco Day in May.

A follow-up survey will be conducted to see how the information provided through the publication was actually used and what impact it had in terms of tangible actions on the national level. "The FDI is very grateful for the collaboration with the WHO in this important area of tobacco control and are proud of the success that this publication has seen so far," said Dr Habib Benzian, FDI Development and Public Health Manager.

100% of handicapped Senegalese children are in need of oral health treatment.

The FDI Donated US$18,000 to the Senegal Dental Association for a project to promote oral health and to provide preventative and emergency treatments to facilities that cater to handicapped children in Senegal. The money will finance the activities in several orphanages and schools in Senegal.

Physically and mentally challenged children suffer from a significantly higher burden of oral diseases, while at the same time having a more difficult access to oral health care. The project tries to bridge this gap by providing free dental treatment and preventive education to teachers and nurses.