The City Health Services Office is planning more oral health care programs for residents this year in coordination with the Department of Health, the Philippine Dental Association (PDA), and other partners.
During the City Hall executives’ management committee meeting last week, Assistant City Health Officer Celia Flor Brillantes said activities for basic oral health care include city dentists’ regular visit to child development centers; outreach activities in barangays with focus on stay-at-home children or those not of school age; and closer collaboration with Department of Education and private dentists and the PDA-Baguio chapter.
She said the records of the children shall be regularly updated and monitored and senior citizens shall also be given special attention.
Government and private dentists should also be updated on advances in technology and studies on oral health care, which could be done through training in coordination with public and private agencies.
There is also a proposal for oral prophylaxis for city and CHSO employees during the first and second semester of 2023.
Brillantes said more funds are needed for dental materials, anesthesia, other supplies, and additional dentists in the district health facilities. As of now, there are five city dentists taking care of the city’s oral health.
Dental chairs and a portable ultrasonic scaler for oral prophylaxis or basic oral cleaning are also needed.
Records show children five to nine years old and youth 10 to 24 years old received more oral health care in 2022 than they did in the past four years, followed by infants zero to 11 months old and children one to four years old; and children 12 to 59 months old upon oral examination.
Pregnant women, adults 20 to 59 years old, and senior citizens were also given basic oral health care in 2022. – Julie G. Fianza
April 25, 2024
