Nothing to smile about:

Dental problems on the rise here

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

COLOMBO: Over six teeth of every Sri Lankan is damaged due to the lack of proper oral health while there are about 1,200 million cavities in Sri Lankans teeth, a research by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry Dental Medical Unit has revealed, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said 40 per cent of children below the age of 12 suffer from different dental illnesses and 68 per cent of children below the age of 15 suffer from the same problem. Around 90 per cent of youths suffer from some sort of dental problems. The main reason for this is the interruption of the school dental service for over 10 years due to a dispute between two trade unions over an uniform issue.

He said the school dental service was stopped in 1998 after two trade unions began a fight over an uniform.

"The school dental service staff wore a coat over their dress and the dentists did not want them to wear it. But the staff demanded that they need to wear it. After this the service was halted. It has also been discovered that oral cancer and other oral health problems in Sri Lanka is on the rise," the spokesman said.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva re-commenced the school dental service and recruited 100 school dental therapists yesterday and ordered to recruit 300 more soon.Americare International donated tooth brushes worth Rs. 3.8 million to the ministry and will be distributed for needy schoolchildren and pregnant mothers from difficult areas.