Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar in his message for World Oral Health Day (WOHD) reminded the public on the importance of maintaining good oral health.
The minister said, “Let’s together make health, including oral health, as our responsibility to ensure our country gets closer to realising Brunei Vision 2035 of achieving a high quality of life.”
WOHD, organised by the FDI World Dental Federation, is celebrated every March 20, the minister said, adding that the day provides a platform to raise awareness on oral health.
Themed ‘A Happy Mouth is A Happy Body’, this year’s celebration stresses on the importance of oral health for every individual as it affects the health of the entire body.
The minister said, “Our mouth will experience problems if we don’t pay attention.”
Tobacco use and consuming food high in fat, salt and sugar can contribute to a variety of chronic diseases including oral diseases, he said.
The minister also shared that 90 per cent of the world population suffer from oral diseases throughout their lives, among them dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal disease (gums disease) and mouth cancer. Some 60 to 90 per cent of schoolchildren experience tooth decay, and toothache is the main reason to skip school and work.
According to the national oral health survey conducted from 2015 to 2017, 71.5 per cent of children aged five to six and 64 per cent of adults did not seek treatment for tooth decay.
The most effective method in reducing tooth decay is to maintain oral health with the use of water fluoridation and fluoride toothpaste.
The Department of Dental Services will continue its effort to raise public awareness on tooth decay prevention through dental educational talks, dental check, the Senyum SiManja programme for children under five, Senyum Pelajar programme for primary schoolchildren and the Kasih programme for individuals with different abilities. – James Kon
