VietNamNet Bridge – Some 85 per cent of Vietnamese children between the age of 6 and 8 have primary tooth decay, while 68.6 per cent in the 15-17 age group have permanent tooth decay.

Vo Thuy Hong, the deputy head of the Management and Scientific Research Ward under the National Odontology-Stomatology Hospital, said a dental school programme has been conducted across the country since 1990, and it has so far covered all of the 63 provinces and cities.

Under the programme, schools have been annually holding a festival day for brushing teeth and other dissemination activities.

Hong noted that with financial prosperity, sugar consumption and noshing have increased, resulting in a high rate of tooth decay and other diseases related to teeth, such as gingivitis.

Moreover, funds for the dental school programme had been limited, so now, many schools implement the programme perfunctorily.

Schools in communes lack medical workers, so dental health does not receive proper attention.

Hong said the country should pursue the dental school programme as one of the main programmes. Efforts should be made to form a steering committee with the participation of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), as well as odontology hospitals.

The MoH and MoET should introduce a training curriculum for medical workers that will specialise in the dental health of communities.

The dental school programme funds, which are from the State budget, should be prioritised for schools in poor, remote areas and islands.

Tran Cao Binh, deputy general secretary of the Viet Nam Odontology-Stomatology Association, said that awareness programmes on healthy eating and drinking habits should also be conducted.

Communities should be informed of risks to dental health as well as preventive measures.

The conference was jointly held by the Viet Nam Odontology-Stomatology Association and Lotte Xylitol.

VNS