USU Public Relations - Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is holding the 2022 National Dental Health Month in collaboration with Unilever with the theme Recovering Together with Indonesia's Healthy Smiles "Rise Stronger, Free of Cavities". This activity took place in the USU FKG Hall, on Wednesday (11/09/2022).

In her remarks, the Dean of the USU FKG Dr. Essie Octiara, drg, SpKGA said that in this activity, there was not only free dental treatment, but also dental fillings, free tooth extraction, and national dental health month training with a joint toothbrush program attended by representative teachers and representatives of parents and students and this program will be monitored for the next 21 days.

"And thank you to the committee that has prepared this event and this event will be closed on Friday (11/11/2022)," she said.

The USU FKG Dean also said that the theme raised was obtained from Unilever research results in 8 countries which proved that the problem of cavities is the most important problem that occurs in the human mouth, and with this theme will increase awareness of dental and oral health. Especially since the advent of covid-19, there has been a decline in dental health.

"In the conditions of Covid-19, there is a decrease in dental health, adults as much as 5% decrease and young children 11% decrease," she concluded.

On the same occasion, the Director of the USU Oral and Dental Hospital (RSGM), drg. Rahmi Syaflida D, Sp.BM (K) said that there had been a decrease in patients since Covid-19 attacked, this happened because the USU General Hospital had been closed due to a government decree for a lockdown, and when Covid-19 was high, it was very difficult to get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

"During Covid, the risk of dentists being exposed to the Covid-19 virus is greater, because dentists have direct contact with the oral cavity and human teeth," she said.

This year, the USU General Hospital has started to open all services such as installing braces, cleaning tartar, dental fillings, tooth extraction and others and of course everything is done according to procedures using PPE. "All tools and equipment are slowly being replenished and slowly opening all services again," she added.

Head of Professional Marketing Personal Care Unilever Indonesia drg. Ratu Mirah Afifah, GCClinDent., MDSc., said that during private practice, since covid there has been a decline in dental health, especially in children because during Covid-19 many children were at home where it was possible to continue eating but not accompanied by brushing your teeth regularly.

"If at home, parents rarely monitor because they think that it's not dirty because they don't leave the house, but they forget about dental and oral health," she said.

And at this time, the patient goes to the dentist because the disease in the oral cavity and teeth is severe, such as swollen gums, teeth are thin, and gums often bleed.

"If it is severe, only then will people be aware of having their teeth checked by the dentist and will get more treatment from the dentist," she mentioned. (©ULC)

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas