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At least 73 million Filipinos have dental caries, making it a “serious health concern” in the Southeast Asian nation, according to the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH).
“Dental caries is a silent epidemic,” Manuel Vallesteros, division chief of the DOH’s disease prevention and control bureau, told reporters following a committee hearing in the House of Representatives.
The COVID-19 pandemic had severely limited access to dental care for more than two years, according to Vallesteros, who noted that the DOH data is based on the 2018 national health survey.
As a result, the current number is far higher.
He pointed out that 8 out of 10 Filipino children have “childhood caries” or “decaying baby teeth” because they are fed newborn formula that has been sweetened.
According to the DOH, “the oral health status of Filipino children is alarming,” and oral illness “continues to be a serious public health problem” in the Philippines. Dental caries, the most common non-communicable illness, are serious global public health issues, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).