It's been a year since my 1st Kiddie Health Talk with the kindergarten and nursery students of MANILA PATRIOTIC SCHOOL (AY KOK). This year the event was held much later due to some unforeseen natural calamity like the typhoon Ondoy and Santi, but I am proud to say that we (at the clinic department) presented a highly engaging Health Talk with these new batch of adorable kids last friday (Dec 4, 2009). Nurse Janet Sison showed these students the very basic of proper hygiene, Dr Jescelyn Sison (not related) lectured on the importance of nutritional food to a growing child, and the title of my lecture 'Oral Health is Wealth'.
I was fortunate enough to be accommodated by Ms Jac Saez-Abadia (Bright Smile Bright Future Manager of COLGATE-PALMOLIVE PHIL.) for making this event a success . Each students received their colgate toothpastes and toothbrushes. Thanks also to Iam or Ayam my colgate dent rep. who gave me the name of Ms Jac Abadia.
What I've noticed with some people especially children, they don't know the proper way of toothbrushing. Some don't even use dental floss or are not aware of flossing. I like this Kiddie Health Talk because in this way I can influence, inform and teach the parents as well as their children how to care for their teeth (their great asset). It's like hitting two birds in one stone. I've also noticed that some filipinos are not too keen with their oral health and that they are more discerning with their outward appearances. In recent studies it shows that severe gum disease is somewhat associated to certain medical conditions.
Parents, your children should brush their teeth at least twice a day for 2 mins (make it fun and a bonding moment ), let them floss after every meal and visit your dentist twice a year. It's never to early to start cleaning the gum of your child with wet gauze after he/she finished his/her bottled (formula) milk and don't put them to sleep with their bottle in their mouth, that's when the sugar from milk start to destroy the enamel of the teeth (milk caries).
In the photos, there's the vice-principal Ms Lim, the great teachers of kindergarten and nursery (locals and imported from china), the cool clinic department personnel and the parents of the winner of mr and ms hygiene 2009.
