Oral health of and provision of dental care service to kindergarten children in Hong Kong

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwok-ying Loo
Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
Hollis Haotian Chai ◽  
Sherry Shiqian Gao ◽  
Kitty Jieyi Chen ◽  
Duangporn Duangthip ◽  
Edward Chin Man Lo ◽  
...  

Early childhood caries (ECC) remains the single most common chronic childhood disease. Untreated caries can cause tooth loss and compromised dentition. Severe ECC can also influence nutrition intake, cognitive development, general health and quality of life. In Hong Kong, approximately half of 5-year-old children suffer from ECC, and more than 90% of these caries remain untreated. Thus, the development of effective strategies for promoting the oral health of preschool children is warranted. The Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong has provided kindergarten-based dental outreach services to selected kindergartens since 2008. In 2020, the project expanded to serve all kindergarten children in Hong Kong. The aim of the service is to improve oral health through the prevention and control of ECC among preschool children. The service provides dental screening and silver diamine fluoride treatment for ECC management. In addition, the parents receive oral health talks, and teachers receive training in delivering regular oral health education at kindergarten. The objectives of this service are to improve oral and general health of preschool children, develop the children’s good oral health-related behaviours, maintain the children’s psychological well-being and reduce the burden on their family. This paper describes this kindergarten-based dental outreach service.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nipaporn Urwannachotima ◽  
Piya Hanvoravongchai ◽  
John Pastor Ansah ◽  
Piyada Prasertsom

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate the changes of dental caries status among Thai adults and elderly under the different policy options using system dynamics modeling. Design/methodology/approach A multi-sector system dynamics model was developed to capture the dynamic interrelationship between dental caries status changes and oral health behavior – including self-care, dental care utilization and sugar consumption. Data used to populate the model was obtained from the Thai national oral health survey in 2000, 2006, 2012 and Thailand Official Statistics Registration. Three policy scenarios were experimented in the model: health promotion policy, dental personnel policy and affordable dental care service policy. Findings Dental caries experiences among Thai adults and elderly were projected to increase from now to 2040, as the elderly population increases. Among all policies experimented herein, the combined policies of health promotion, increased affordability and capacity of dental health service were found to produce the highest improvement in dental caries status with 3.7 percent reduction of population with high decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and 5.2 percent increase in population with very low DMFT. Originality/value This study is the first comprehensive simulation model that attempts to explore the dynamic interrelationship among dental caries experiences and behavioral factors that impact on oral health outcomes. In addition, the simulation model herein offers a framework for policy experimentation that provides policymakers with additional insights to inform health policy planning.


The Surgeon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.H. Chu ◽  
S.S.S. Wong ◽  
R.P.C. Suen ◽  
E.C.M. Lo
Keyword(s):  

Geriatrics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Alice Chan ◽  
Manisha Tamrakar ◽  
Katherine Leung ◽  
Chloe Jiang ◽  
Edward Lo ◽  
...  

The older adult population is increasing both in number and in proportion worldwide. In Hong Kong, the number of people aged 65 or above is expected to reach 2.5 million in 2039, thus becoming one-third of the population. With this growing population, the need for dental care among older adults is expected to surge. Oral health care is one of the government’s core policy agendas and the Department of Health has emphasised its importance. It has implemented a number of policies, such as increasing the number of dental training places, setting up an expert group for oral health care policy planning, and conducting regular oral health surveys of the population. It is subsidizing several programmes, including the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, Outreach Dental Care Programme, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Programme, in order to promote oral health care in older adults. These programmes have received support and positive feedback from both the public and dental service providers. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the oral health care of older adults in Hong Kong and recommendations to enhance their effectiveness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amornrat Ratanasiri ◽  
Thitima Nutravong ◽  
Supaporn Chatrchaiwiwatana ◽  
Arisara Poosari ◽  
Thawalrat Ratanasiri ◽  
...  

To improve the efficiency of the dental care service system in Thailand. To synthesize content from Khon Kaen University (KKU) staffs and students’ research and presentations from 1984 to 2020 about oral health hygiene and related diseases. Sixteen publications and presentations by KKU staffs and their students about oral health problems and management were retrieved, reviewed and analyzed. Poor oral health of people in the northeast of Thailand is found in every age group: children, adults and the aging, both male and female. There are still many oral health problems of Thai people in the northeast. KKU Field Works, Projects and Research were able to help reduce these oral health problems. An appropriate preventive oral health program needs to be developed and implemented in Northeastern Thailand.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 390
Author(s):  
Stella Xinchen Yang ◽  
Katherine Chiu Man Leung ◽  
Chloe Meng Jiang ◽  
Edward Chin Man Lo

Hong Kong has a large and growing population of older adults but their oral health conditions and utilization of dental services are far from optimal. To reduce the financial barriers and to improve the accessibility of dental care services to the older adults, a number of programmes adopting an innovative shared funding, administration, and provision mode have recently been implemented. In this review, an online search on the Hong Kong government websites and the electronic medical literature databases was conducted using keywords such as “dental care,” “dental service,” and “Hong Kong.” Dental care services for older adults in Hong Kong were identified. These programmes include government-funded outreach dental care service provided by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), provision of dentures and related treatments by private and NGO dentists supported by the Community Care Fund, and government healthcare vouchers for private healthcare, including dental, services. This paper presents the details of the operation of these programmes and the initial findings. There is indirect evidence that these public-funded dental care service programmes have gained acceptance and support from the government, the service recipients, and the providers. The experience gained is of great value for the development of appropriate dental care services for the older adults in Hong Kong and worldwide.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract Oral health is a central element of general health with significant impact in terms of pain, suffering, impairment of function and reduced quality of life. Although most oral disease can be prevented by health promotion strategies and routine access to primary oral health care, the GBD study 2017 estimated that oral diseases affect over 3.5 billion people worldwide (Watt et al, 2019). Given the importance of oral health and its potential contribution to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), it has received increased attention in public health debates in recent years. However, little is known about the large variations across countries in terms of service delivery, coverage and financing of oral health. There is a lack of international comparison and understanding of who delivers oral health services, how much is devoted to oral health care and who funds the costs for which type of treatment (Eaton et al., 2019). Yet, these aspects are central for understanding the scope for improvement regarding financial protection against costs of dental care and equal access to services in each country. This workshop aims to present the comparative research on dental care coverage in Europe, North America and Australia led by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Three presentations will look at dental care coverage using different methods and approaches. They will compare how well the population is covered for dental care especially within Europe and North America considering the health systems design and expenditure level on dental care, using the WHO coverage cube as analytical framework. The first presentation shows results of a cross-country Health Systems in Transition (HiT) review on dental care. It provides a comparative review and analysis of financing, coverage and access in 31 European countries, describing the main trends also in the provision of dental care. The second presentation compares dental care coverage in eight jurisdictions (Australia (New South Wales), Canada (Alberta), England, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States) with a particular focus on older adults. The third presentation uses a vignette approach to map the extent of coverage of dental services offered by statutory systems (social insurance, compulsory insurance, NHS) in selected countries in Europe and North America. This workshop provides the opportunity of a focussed discussion on coverage of dental care, which is often neglected in the discussion on access to health services and universal health coverage. The objectives of the workshop are to discuss the oral health systems in an international comparative setting and to draw lessons on best practices and coverage design. The World Conference on Public Health is hence a good opportunity for this workshop that contributes to frame the discussion on oral health systems in a global perspective. Key messages There is large degree of variation in the extent to which the costs of dental care are covered by the statutory systems worldwide with implications for oral health outcomes and financial protection. There is a need for a more systematic collection of oral health indicators to make analysis of reliable and comparable oral health data possible.


BDJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalina Opazo-García ◽  
Jeel Moya-Salazar ◽  
Karina Chicoma-Flores ◽  
Hans Contreras-Pulache

Abstract Introduction Dental care is provided for high-performance athletes at national and international sports events. Elite athletes may seek care for sports-related injuries and pre-existing oral diseases. Previous studies indicate an association between oral health problems and negative performance impacts in elite athletes. Objectives To determine the prevalence of the most common oral pathologies in high-performance athletes during the emergency dental care performed at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games (JPL-19). Methodology All reports of athletes (≥18 years old, of both sexes, from 41 countries) who received emergency dental care at Pan American Villas during the JPL-19 were included. Injuries and types of oral diseases were classified according to the Injury and Disease Surveillance System proposed by the International Olympic Committee. Results Of the 6680 participating athletes, 76 (1.14%) presented as dental emergencies, 90.8% (69/76) of the athletes seen presented pre-existing oral pathological conditions, the most frequent were periodontal diseases (34%, 26/76) and dental caries (29%, 22/76). Among the sports with the most cases, there were 22 (29%) in athletics, 6 (8%) in soccer, and 6 (8%) in taekwondo. The most frequent dental emergencies came from Peru, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Grenada, and Venezuela. Conclusions Pre-existing oral diseases were more frequent than sports-related accidents. The most prevalent diseases were periodontal disease and dental caries disease. It is necessary to implement new care strategies for athletes, based on prevention, before and during sports competitions.


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