Perfect Smile | The Soshal Network

Noong elementary ka, umabsent ka ba from school dahil sa “toothache”? Hula ko, oo. Toothache kasi ang #1 reason for absenteeism from school, di lang dito sa Pinas, but all over the world! Buong akala ko, normal magkaroon ng cavities (a.k.a. dental caries). Halos lahat kasi ng kalaro ko noong bata, nasisiraan din ng ngipin. Syempre bata, mahilig sa candy at matatamis.

Pero isa sa mga natutunan ko noong May 12, as I attended the ALLIANCE FOR A CAVITY-FREE FUTURE (ACFF) PHILIPPINE CHAPTER LAUNCH at SMX Convention Center, was that caries are NOT and DO NOT have to be a normal part of life.

Hindi normal na sumasakit at nabubulok ang ngipin. Hindi normal na kakatubo pa lang ng ngipin ng bata, and as early as 4 years of age, may sira na ang ngipin niya. Tooth decay is actually a chronic disease, the most common one affecting 5 billion people or around 80% of the world’s population. Pero kahit common, DISEASE pa rin siya. Kailangan pigilan at gamutin.

Kaya naman government officials, dentists, public health practitioners, academicians, physicians and other stakeholders all came together during the 105^th Annual Philippine Dental Association (PDA) Convention to make the Philippines the 9^th country to join the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF), to stop cavities (a.k.a., dental caries), NOW!

All of them signed a national declaration committing to the goals of ACFF, including the following:

By 2016, ninety percent of dental schools and dental associations should have embraced and promoted the “new” approach of “caries as a continuum” to improve dental caries prevention and management.
By 2020, regional members of the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future should have integrated, locally appropriate, comprehensive caries prevention and management systems and monitoring developed and in place.
Every child born from 2026 should stay cavity free during their life time.

Wow! Imagine a Philippines na lahat ng ngiti ng bata ay 100% perfect!!!

But of course, everyone has to come together to make these goals a reality. And during the forum, with dental health experts as part of the panel, we all took the opportunity to ask them what would be the best defense against cavities.

At eto ang mga natutunan ko. Attention mommies!

The key to caries prevention is FLUORIDE. At ang main source nito ay ang toothpaste. But, unfortunately, not all toothpaste brands contain the required amount of fluoride to actually prevent cavities – 1,000 to 1,500 parts per million. The PDA approves and recommends COLGATE, which they have found to be compliant with international standards. Dun na tayo sa sure diba?!

Top contributors to dental caries are poor hygiene, sugar-rich diet and rare dental check-ups. Kaya iwas na sa sweets. At kung di maiwasan, siguraduhing nakapag-toothbrush nang maayos after mag-indulge.

Alam mo bang excessive toothpaste can be toxic? Kaya importante din palang malaman ang tamang amount of toothpaste for a particular age group:

The toothbrush on the left shows a smear of toothpaste and the one on the right a pea-sized amount.

0-2 years old: Smear lang sa ngipin
3-6 years old: Pea size (dahil hindi pa sila masyado marunong mag-spit)
7 and above: You can cover the toothbrush head

At dahil regulated dapat ang amount of toothpaste used by kids, dentists recommend toothpastes that have less flavor. Iwas na sa mga tutti frutti flavored toothpastes. Kapag masarap kasi, children tend to eat it.

When brushing your teeth, it is best to JUST SPIT. NO RINSE. This way, mas maa-absorb ng ngipin ang fluoride from the toothpaste, instead of it being washed away.

O diba, useful, practical information!

Thank you Ate Dra. Joyce Reyes (Ate ni Papa N) for the invite to the forum! And thank you to Colgate-Palmolive Company for sponsoring the AFCC Philippine Chapter Launch and for the freebies! Nakapagpa-celebrity pin-up pa tuloy ako sa DOH Assistant Secretary cum dancer extraordinaire, Hon. Enrique Tayag!