SOME 100 government dentists in the region were in Dagupan City for a regional conference of the Philippine Dental Association last week to discuss new standards for prevention and intervention of caries (tooth decay).

Dr. Corazon Flores, president of PDA said PDA reached out to the government dentists to help in the effort to reduce the alarming rate of caries in the country, considered one of the highest in the world. She attributed the high rate of poor oral health due to neglect, poverty and low priority of government for oral health. Dr. Artemio Licos Jr., region one coordinator of government dentists, affirmed that government’s facilities are inadequate and region one has only 110 government dentists owing to low pay.

Flores advised the local government units (LGUs) to provide toothbrushes and toothpastes in their dental missions aside from the anesthesia or medicines. “For how can we teach them to brush regularly when they don’t have one”, said she said. (Hilda Martin Austria)

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