Dental records pushed for ID purposes

CEBU, Philippines - Regular visit to the dentist would mean dental records useful in disaster victim identification, just like in the DVI procedure conducted on victims of the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars.

But because dental concerns do not seem to be life threatening, dental programs remain the least from the government’s set of priorities. The Department of Health frowns over this situation while insisting that dental concerns should be addressed with equality as with other health concerns on children and adults.

The fact is that 92 percent of all Filipinos including children have dental problems according to DOH. About 90 percent have periodontal disease or gum infections. DOH added that mostly, problems start to occur during childhood.

DOH Dental Health coordinator Expedito Medalla said that dental problem is one reason while a child skips from class which hinders the goal of the government to heighten the quality of students produced in schools.

Medalla said that dental care must be practiced from womb to tomb, that is, from the moment a person has started to exist until his death. Parents play a vital role in taking care of their children’s dental health.

DOH reminds parents and schools to teach children proper dental hygiene like demonstrating to them the proper way of brushing the teeth, informing them of food items good for the teeth and gums, and emphasizing the importance of consulting the dentist.

Medalla said that children should be informed that tooth decay starts when they neglect cleaning their mouths after eating. He explained that when a person eats, there are always food debris left in between the teeth which when mixed with bacteria in the saliva becomes an acid that destroys the teeth.

The acid continues to destroy until nerves of the teeth are affected, thus weakening the root which leads to tooth loss.

Medalla said that children should always be guided on proper oral hygiene and be checked by the dentists every now and then so problems will be treated immediately.

Further, he said that they are working on convincing the government to pass a resolution that will mandate every citizen to have a dental record for the purpose of keeping a database of information useful in DVI.

Using dental records in identification is also cheaper than DNA testing and other means, Medalla said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)