ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM
Oral Health Program cuts across all life-cycle programs (child, maternal, adolescent, older, person, etc) of the Family Health Office, National Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
1. Problem
The main oral health problems are dental caries (tooth decay) and peridontal disease (gum disease). These two oral diseases are so widespread that 87% of our people are suffering from tooth decay and 48% have gum disease. (2011 NMEDS Survey)
The combined ill effects of these two major diseases (except oral cancer) weaken bodily defense and serve as portal of entry to other more serious, potentially dangerous and opportunistic infections overlapping other diseases present. Such will incapacitate a young victim as in crippling heart conditions arising from oral infection that may end in death.
The individual so affected with such handicap also has disturbed speech, becomes withdrawn and avoids socializing with people and so lessen his opportunities for advancement. More critical however is the effect of poor or defective teeth to overall nutrition to maintain good general health, that begins with the first bite and chewing the food efficiently.
2. Program Objectives/ Indicators/ Parameters
General:
Reduction on the prevalence rate of dental caries and periodontal diseases from 92% in 1998 to 85% and from 78% in 1998 to 60%, respectively, by end of 2016 among general population.
Specific:
a) To increase the proportion of Orally Fit Children (OFC) under 6 years old to 12% by 20% by 2020
b) To control oral health risks among the young people
c) To improve the oral health conditions of pregnant women by 20% and older persons by 10% every year till 2016.
3. Target Priorities
Pre-school children, Adolescents, Mothers, Elderly
4. Strategies and future Plans/ Actions
1. Formulate policy and regulations to ensure the full implentation of OHP
a. Establishment of effctive networking system (DepEd, DSWD, LGU, PDA, Fit for School, Academe and others)
b. Development of policies, standards, guidelines and clinical protocols
- Fluoride Use
- Toothbrushing
- other preventive measures
c. Upgrading of Dental Services Unit all levels
2. Ensure financial access to essential public and personal oral health services
a. Develop an outpatient benefit package for oral health under NHIP of the government.
b. Develop financing schemes for oral health applicable to other levels of care (fee for service, cooperatives, network with HMOS)
c. Restoration of oral health budget line item in the GAA of DOH CO.
3. Provide relevant, timely and accurate information management system for oral health
a. Improve existing information system/ data collection (reporting and recording dental services and accomplishments)
- Setting essential indicators
- Development of IT system on recording and reporting oral health services accomplishments and indices- Integrate oral health in every family health information tools, recording books/manuals
b. Conduct regular epidemiological dental surveys- every 5 years
4. Ensure access and delivery of quality oral health care services
a. Upgrading of facilities, equipment, instruments, supplies
b. Develop packages of essential care/services for different groups (children, mothers and marginalized groups)
- Revival of the sealant program for school children
- Tooth brushing program for pre-school children
- Outreach programs for marginalized groups
c. Design and implement grant assistance mechanism for high performing LGUs
- Awards and incentives
- Funding grants for priority programs/activities
d. Regular conduct of consultation meetings, technical updates and program implementation reviews with stakeholders
5. Build up highly motivated health professionals and trained auxiliaries to manage and provide quality oral health care
a. Provision of adequate dental personnel
b. Capacity enhancement programs for dental personnel and non-dental personnel
5. Status of Implementation / Accomplishments
· Outpatient Dental Health Care Finance Package – Being advocated for inclusion under PhilHealth outpatient packages. The best scheme is through Capitation wherein a certain amount will be provided for these dental services for indigent patients to certain health facilities including RHUs.
· Capacity Enhancement Program (CEP) for Public Health Dentists- This training program was designed with the public health dentists (PHDs) as the main recipients of the Basic Course on the Management of Oral Health Program. The training is expected to provide an in-depth understanding of the different roles and functions of the PHDs in the management and delivery of Public Health Services. For the last two years (2010-2011) 10.2 Million pesos were sub-allotted to all CHDs for this purpose. To date almost 87% of all PHDs are trained. NCDPC is proposing to develop Skills Training (Oral and Maxillo-facial surgery) for Hospital dentist as continuation to the CEP.
· Oral Health Survey – The Department of Health (DOH) has been conducting nationwide surveys every five years (1977, 1982, 1987, 1992 and 1998) to determine the prevalence of oral diseases in the Philippines. In 2011, the NCDPC with a 5 Million pesos budget conducted the National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey (NMEDS) through the UP-National Institute of Health (UP-NIH).
· Orally Fit Child (OFC) Campaign- In 2009 the DOH launched the OFC campaign for 2-6 years old children (pre-school children) in day care centers. Orally Fit child is a child who meets the following conditions upon oral examination and /or completion of treatment a.) caries-free or all carious tooth/teeth must be restored either temporary or permanent filling materials
b.) have healthy gums
c.) has no oral debris
d.) no dento-facial anomaly that limits oral cavity's normal function.
NCDPC have allotted 8.5 million pesos each year to implement the programin day care centers. Activities include both tooth brushing activities, training of day care workers, awards, IEC materials among others. The DOH is hoping to attain 12% OFC in 2016 and 20% in 2020. To date more or less 3.20% pre-schoolers are OFC.
· 2013 Budget (23.6 million)
-Commodities (Dental Sealant and ART Filing materials for pre-school children) = 20 million
· 2014 Budget (35 million)
6. Other Significant Information
Policy/ Standards/ Guidelines formulated/ developed:
AO 101 s. 2003 dated October 14, 2013- National Policy on Oral Health
AO 2007-0007 dated January 3, 2013 - Guidelines in the Implementation of Oral Heaalth Program for Public Health Services in the Philippines
AO 4 s. 1998 - Revised Rules and Regulations and Standard Requirements for Private School Dental services in the Philippines.
AO 11-D s. 1998 - Revised Standard Requirements for hospital Dental services in the Philippines.
AO 3 s. 1998 - Revised Rules and Regulations and Standard Requirements for Occupational Dental Services in the philippines
AO 4-A s. 1998 - Infection Control Measures for Dental Health Services
Existing Working Group for Oral Health:
National Technical Working Group (TWG) on Oral Health (DPO 2005-1197)
Member Agencies: Department of Health (NCDPC, HHRDB, NCHP
DOH-Center for Health Development for NCR, Central Luzon and Calabarzon
Philippine Dental Association
Department of Education
UP - College of Public Health
Department of Interior and Local Government
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Local Government Units (Makati, Quezon City)
Print Materials:
- Leaflets (Malakas and dating Buo ang Ngipin) for Children, Adolescent, Pregnant Women, and Older Persons
- Training Module on Basic Course on Management of Oral Health Program
