As we
celebrate National Children’s Day on July 23, we may reflect on what we have
accomplished for children, especially in our country.
To
educate means to teach all things well. Every parent teaches his or her sons
and daughters with the hope that someday their kids will become good and
successful people. As adults, we give our best to this country and this world,
but we should also do more for our children.
Every
child deserves a good education, but more importantly, he or she should also be
in good health to learn new things.
A wise
doctor should not only heal patients with medicine, but also educate the
patient to have healthy habits. As a soon-to-be pediatric dentist, I have
treated many young patients. Often I find that children, regardless of their
financial status, have a significant amount of tooth decay or caries. The
Health Ministry reported an increasing prevalence of tooth caries from 2007 to
2013.
Furthermore,
most children are afraid to see a doctor or a dentist. Maybe the image of a
doctor, or especially a dentist, is that of a person who carries a weapon, in
this case, a tooth drill.
Many
children arrive at dental facilities when they already have dental problems
such as tooth decay. It makes the fear-level higher because they expect the
dentist to run procedures to treat their teeth that same day. Even for those
kids who come to see me just for a dental check-up, many are quite scared.
In child
psychology, we learn about child anxiety and fear and the way to manage those
things. But parents could also help prepare them by talking to their kids at
home prior to going to the dentist, At the very least, they would have an idea
about what the dentist will do. Parents are the closest loved ones for the
children, so they should build healthy habits for children from home.
With that
background, my friend and I established a community for children to learn about
simple things to keep them healthy. We created storybooks to teach them about
healthy dental habits. The first book presents stories about going to the
dentist and describes what the dentist will do if a child has cavities, or if
he or she comes in for a dental check-up. The other book is about healthy
tooth-brushing habits and why brushing teeth twice a day is necessary.
All of
the stories are packed with colorful illustrations and we have reviewed the
language and wording of the books with a child psychologist. We really hope
this publication will help children to better understand the world of
dentistry.
Each of
us is unique in that we have our own strengths. I am trying to build a bridge
between education and health. So, what will you do for the children, our future
and our hope? Happy National Children’s Day!
Stella
Lesmana
The writer is the founder of Kesehatan Untuk
Junior Indonesia (Health for Indonesian Juniors) and is currently undertaking
pediatric dentistry at the University of Indonesia.
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