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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1975-01-30, Page 12THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1975 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS The Ontario Dental Associa- tion recently sponsored a conf- erence on the prevent of dental disease, and unveiled the prop- osed denticare scheme it has been negotiating with the Ont- ario Government. Several months ago it seemed likely that the Government would implement the denticare plan, but it now appears to be less of a priority. At the present time, only about half of the people in Ontario visit their dentist regul- arly, despite the fact that about 9(PA) of the population suffers from some dental problems. Many people do not seek treat- ment because of the high cost of dental care. However, as with many medical problems the earlier a problem is treated, the better. The Ontario Dental Association feels that a denti- care plan would improve the oral health of the population over a period of years, and should be implemented as soon as possible. The proposed scheme would ensure that in time all citizens of Ontario could get the dental care they need. It would be implemented in four phases, the first being coverage of children. At the end of the first five years, the plan would cover all children in the Prov- ince under 13, and would cost about $180 million a year. If children have regular dental care and are taught good oral Jottings by Jack from Queens Park hygiene habits, there is a good chance they will have signific- antly fewer problems in later years. By starting the denticare plan with children, the ODA feels it can reduce the cost of dental care for these children when they reach their adult years. The second phase involves people aged 65 and over. These senior citizens would be provid- ed with normal preventive and restorative services in addition to complete and partial dent- ures. The third phase would extend coverage to young people up to age 18 continuing to cover the enrolled group beyond age 13. The final phase would be to cover the general population, many of whom would have already been part- icipants in the plan by this time Those entering the adult group, would therefore, have a good background of preventive educ- ation thus probably requiring fewer restorative services. The ODA said 1975 was the original target date for the implementation of the denti- care plan in Ontario, but it now seems highly unlikely that the Government will proc- eed with the scheme at this time. All the machinery is set up and ready to go, but the Ministry of Health is acting like a reluctant bridegroom. The ODA suggested at the confer- ence that if the Government were not prepared to launch PAGE 13 denticare for children, the least it can do is embark on a huge advertising campaign directed toward parents and children on good dental habits. Hopefully this would raise the conscious- ness of some people on the imp- ortance of good nutrition, regul- ar visits to the dentist and proper techniques for cleaning the mouth which include brush- ing and flossing. Another topic discussed at the conference was preventive dentistry. In the past there has been little or no emphasis by either the profession or Govern- ment on prevention of dental problems. People tended to regard their dentists as technic- ians who repair teeth and treat problems, not as educators. People tend to be hesitant to pay a dentist for a session on prevention which niay lead to a great saving in the long run. Many of the younger dentists who have recently graduated are very keen on preventive dentistry, but encounter resist- ance froiii the public. In actual fact, the public should be demanding advice from dentists on how to avoid dental probl- ems and should not be satisfied with filling after filling. The Government in its educ- ational campaign should point out how important preventive dentistry is in waking a mouth decay -free. For example, many people are not aware of the destructive effect of sugar on 'our teeth. The simple equation is bacteria + sugar= acid which eventually produces cavities. If sugar is eaten at mealtime, it is less of a probl- em since increased saliva during regular meals acts as a buffer and neutralizes the damage. The real problem is eating sug- ar in snacks, because the acid- ity count in the mouth becomes elevated. An educational campaign could point these facts out to people and -encour- age thein to avoid sugar, cand- ies, soft drinks, etc. especially snacks. A shocking statistic I learned is that the average in- take of sugar in Canada per person per year is 104 pounds, which is two pounds per person JUST 2 DAYS LEFT To Renew At The Old Rate! TODAY AND TOMORROW YOU CAN STILL RENEW AT THE OLD RATE OF $5.00 PER YEAR MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED IF POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31 JANUARY 31 IS THE DEADLINE Zurich 0,-(40/4. per week! I would be most interested in hearing from you on thesubject of a denticare plan for Ontario. Part of the reason the Govern- ment is stalling is that they think it is too expensive. I wonder whether denticare isn't a better use of our tax dollars than the advertising campaign for seatbelts or the innocuous Solid Waste Task Force Report. 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