Lack of awareness about oral health rampant in city

Many of Beijing's middle-aged residents suffer severe dental problems due to ignorance of oral health, some people even lose teeth in their 30s.

"In the United States, the average age for tooth loss is about 50," said Zou Qifang, chairman of Arrail Dental, one of the city's private dental clinics. "Periodontitis is the main cause."

He said the disease leads to tissue slowly waning so that the teeth become loose. The typical symptoms of periodontitis are bleeding gums and soreness when eating and brushing teeth.

"It is difficult to detect because the symptoms are not necessarily obvious or visible to the individuals before the teeth begin to become loose," he said. "It is important to see the dentists regularly for an examination of the gums."

He said it is important that people are aware of oral health.

"In Western countries, it is normal for people to have a dental examination. Most Chinese, however, only go to clinics or hospitals when they feel uncomfortable," he said. "But by then it is too late."

Mo Kun, a 34-year-old website designer who is working in Central Business District, said he didn't have regular dental examinations until his gums begun to bleed two years ago.

"It was suggested I have scaling and deep cleaning. In the past, I thought my oral hygiene was good and only those who had problems needed dental healthcare. But now, my thoughts have changed," he said. "I now visit a dentist regularly."

However, statistics show that most people in the city have poor awareness of dental care.

A survey conducted by the Beijing Stomatological Hospital showed that less than half of middle-aged residents in Beijing brush their teeth twice a day. More than 60 percent of total correspondents have dental caries and about 80 percent have bleeding gums.

According to the third national epidemiological survey of oral diseases released in 2008, nearly 80 percent of people aged from 35 to 44 were found to have gum bleeding and about 40 percent had periodontal disease. Zou said oral hygiene is an investment.

"If you think an oral examination isn't worth it when you are young, you might regret it in middle age."

Luan Qingxian, director of department of periodontitis at Peking University School of Stomatology, said the high incidence rate of periodontitis is because many people ignored their oral heath when younger.

The department receives more than 200 patients everyday. Some patients even come to the hospital at 2 am to get a registration number.

Luan said many people still have misunderstandings about oral healthcare. "They believe that tooth cleaning is only for whiting. In fact, cleaning your teeth twice a year is good for oral health, as well as for oral disease prevention."

The Beijing health bureau started an epidemiological survey of the oral diseases in August this year.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/20/2010)