Fiji Dental Officer Claims There is No Need for Better Dental Services for Children
Dental officer, Dr Zia Tuiyasawa, claimed that there is no need for better dental care for children in Fiji and urged parents to take responsibility for their children’s oral health.
Speaking after a visit to the children’s ward at Labasa Hospital, Dr Tuiyasawa said that decay is preventable and better dental care is not the answer. Instead, children need to be educated by parents from an early age and taught to brush their teeth properly and choose healthy foods.
Dr Tuiyasawa said that children are eating too many sugary and fatty foods, which are contributing to dental problems and obesity, which is becoming increasingly common among young children. Dr Tuiyasawa noted that children are visiting shops to buy their lunch, rather than bringing healthy meals from home and the consumption of fizzy drinks and sweets has increased significantly.
Dr Tuiyasawa was visiting the hospital as part of National Oral Health Week. The government is currently pushing the ‘5 for Health and 20 Smiles’ campaign, which aims to ensure that more children have 20 teeth by the age of five years old.
The dental officer said that parents must act as mentors, to encourage their children to take an interest in their health. Tooth cleaning should be supervised from an early age and children should be taught about the importance of a healthy, balanced diet so that they are able to make well-informed choices.
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