Oral health of majority of Lankans poor

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

'There is one dentist for every 14,000 Sri Lankans and 16,000 Sri Lankans have the service of one dentist from the state sector.

'However, 40 percent of children under 12 suffer from tooth decay. Another 77 percent are afflicted with gum diseases. Ninety percent of persons above 35 have dental and gum problems. This is due to lack of awareness and ignorance, Acting Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake said.

He was addressing World Oral Health Day held at Health Education Bureau, Colombo yesterday.

Acting Minister Dissanayake said that according to WHO standards, a person at the time of death due to old age should have at least 20 teeth but in Sri Lanka 22 percent of elders who die do not have even a single tooth in their mouths.

'This is because of ignorance and lack of awareness about dental hygiene. Some media advertisements mislead the public. All should brush teeth at night before going to bed.

'A lot of schoolchildren are already addicted to sweet drinks and various sweetmeats. They eat excessive sweetmeats and drink sweet drinks. They should have been given fresh fruits instead of sweetmeats and sweet drinks.

'It is the responsibility of the parents. People are scared of dengue because they can die from dengue but they are not scared of dental problems. Therefore oral and dental problems exist in society like an iceberg, the acting minister pointed out.

According to statistics presented during the seminar 20 percent of male cancer patients in Sri Lanka suffer from oral cancer and it is the number one cancer among males.

Breast cancer is number one among females. Everything used for chewing betel (arecanut, tobacco and lime) cause oral cancer. Use of alcohol and smoking also cause oral cancer.

'People should consult a dentist even when they face a minor accident which cause minor damage or pain in the teeth to avoid future complications. Sportsmen should always wear 'safety wear' to protect their teeth.