Protect your teeth program
What are the dental health statistics for children in Cambodia?
Close to 100 percent of children that have dental decay develop it by the age of six – the average child in Cambodia has nine decayed teeth. So it starts at a very young age and of all these children, 95 percent do not get treatment. When children lose their baby teeth early, the permanent teeth will grow in closer together so they end up with orthodontic problems as well.
They often experience toothaches, infections and have difficulty eating food that needs to be chewed, such as vegetables and meat, which can affect their general health. Some studies have shown that the body weight of children with decay is lower than other children with healthy teeth.
Callum Durward, the dean of Dental Health Sciences from the International University, Cambodia
Why do you think so many children have dental problems here?
- Firstly the early introduction of tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste is vital for children and unfortunately in Cambodia many children do not start brushing their teeth until they get to school. Brushing should actually start as soon as the teeth come up with a small soft brush and just a smear of toothpaste.
- The second one is related to diet. The weaning foods here often contain a lot of sugar, so from a very young age many children have a lot of sugar in their diet. That sugar, combined with plaque on the teeth, turns into acid and they get caries (dental decay)
CEHO Protect your teeth program (PTP)
CEHO Protect your teeth program purposes are to teach children in our community how to take care of their teeth and also teach them about dental health issues, how to prevent it and what to do when there is one.
