Country-Wide Access To Fluoride Water
By Sobrina Rosli

Bandar Seri Begawan - A dental health expert from the UK has stressed the need for "a high-level of political support" to ensure that the vast majority of Bruneians get access to fluoride water.

During a seminar on dental public health and oral health programme yesterday, Anthony Blinkhorn, professor of oral health at the University of Manchester, highlighted the channelling of fluoride water as a way to prevent caries in as many people as possible.

This is among major plans for Brunei's dental health campaign for which Blinkhom serves as a consultant.

"We already have a water fluoride system but there is still room of improvement as there are areas that we are unable to reach. This will need more budget and discussion among relevant agencies," Dr Mary Cheong Poh Hua, senior dental officer and head of Brunei's Health Oral Promotion, told The Brunei Times.

The seminar was part of the Dental Services Department's efforts to upgrade and improve their services and manpower.

Professor Anthony Blinkhorn is to assist the Ministry of Health's planning and implementation of its dental health promotion, educational and prevention programmes.

Dr Cheong said that the department has come up with more effective ways of disseminating awareness on dental health.

"I am currently putting together a guidebook for community nurses in the four districts on educating mothers on how they can help in ensuring their children's good oral health as early as eight months old."

She spoke of negative effects of bottle-feeding on a child's dental health and suggested that it be discontinued after the first year.

"To promote breastfeeding, we are also trying to raise awareness that when a child is bottlefed, the sugar residue from the milk left in their mouth will mix with the saliva and this will increase the acidity level, posing bigger risk of getting cavities at an early age," she added.

She clarified that the department was not discouraging bottle-feeding babies, but that by the age of one, the child's milk bottle should be replaced with a feeder cup.

Dr Affendy POSKSMDSP Abidin, who was the guest of honour at the seminar, stressed in his speech the issue of taking into consideration the socioeconomic and health belief cultures Bruneians in planning and implementing the dental health campaign. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with