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BEAUFORT: The State-Level Dental Health Promotion Week 2024 with the theme “123 Senyum Jaga Gigi, Senyuman Abadi” is an annual activity focusing on strengthening self-care, prevention, and treatment of dental diseases through early screening.

State Health Director Datuk Dr Asits Sanna said this at the Opening Ceremony of the Dental Health Promotion Week 2024 held at Pak Musa Hall, last Saturday. 

He said that regular dental check-ups at least once a year is important in detecting various dental problems at an early stage and subsequently preventing tooth loss.

It will also reduce the need for more expensive and complex treatments in the future.

“The National Oral Health Survey (Nohsa 2020) for Sabah shows that 82.0 per cent of six-year-old children were found to have cavity problems,” he said.

The findings of this study also show that dental health problems are more serious in rural areas, stemming from diets high in sugar content and lack of emphasis on preventive practices and dental health care.

Dr Asits also said the State Health Department is working to improve the oral health status of the population in this State.

Various programs that encourage preventive practices as a routine of life such as brushing teeth twice a day and using fluoridated toothpaste, rinsing after every meal, in addition to practicing healthy eating, performing self-examination of the mouth, and getting dental check-ups at least once a year are often organized to prevent dental diseases.

The Dental Health Promotion Week, held from July 15-27, in Sabah, is one of the initiatives in fostering public awareness of the importance of lifelong dental health care.

He said among the activities organised throughout Sabah are dental health talks by experts and dental officers through various mass media and social media, exhibitions, free dental screening and examinations, fluoride application, interactive games, aero dance competitions, rhythmic tooth brushing competitions, public speaking competition, drawing and colouring competitions, quizzes and dental buskers performances.

To increase access to dental health facilities, the State Health Department is expanding services through a network of Dental Clinics, Specialist Dental Clinics, School Dental Clinics, Mobile Dental Clinics, and Mobile Dental Teams.

Thus, in 2024, the State Health Department has obtained approval for the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK12) Rolling Plan Four Project for the procurement of three new Mobile Dental Clinics comprising three coaster buses for Penampang, Keningau, and Kudat.

In addition, approval was also obtained for the establishment of four Mobile Dental Teams as part of service expansion at Kepayan, Luyang, Telupid, and Tawau Dental Clinics.

He said that in efforts to curb dental cavity, population strategy prevention such as fluoridation of public water supply and fluoridated mouth rinsing are also being expanded.

“A total of 31 primary schools with 2,970 students consistently follow the rinsing program every school week throughout Sabah,” he said.

Through efforts as mentioned above, it is hoped that more residents in Sabah can receive dental health facilities, whether promotional services, prevention, and dental health treatment.

Indirectly, this will improve the oral health status in this State.

Dr. Asits said the State Health Department also urges the public to get check-ups at least once a year for early detection of dental health problems.

Present were the Deputy State Health Director (Dental) Dr Thaddius Herman Maling and Beaufort Area Dental Officer Dr Rozytha Robin.