NGOs begin to stop the rot of Cambodian teeth
Every day for weeks on end, 6-year-old Srey Nuch was tormented by severe pain caused by several of her teeth rotting away. Her mother, Lay Vicheka, despaired when she heard her daughter’s cries, knowing the family was far too poor to pay a dentist to fix the problem. … Srey Nuch’s story is not uncommon in Cambodia, where the average six-year-old has nine decaying teeth, according to Dr. Callum Durward, head of the Department of Dentistry at Puthisastra University. “It’s one of the highest rates in the world—certainly the highest in Southeast Asia,” said Dr. Durward, who also advises the Ministry of Health. … Faced with an unfeasible bill of $40 at a rudimentary clinic staffed by unqualified technicians, Ms. Vicheka was relieved when she heard about a dental service where her daughter could receive treatment for free. CHOICE Cambodia, a charity run largely by Phnom Penh-based expats, set up a dental clinic about a year ago at their rural base in Kandal province’s Kompong Svay commune. … According to Dr. Durward, who has worked in Cambodia for many years and is also the dental director the One2One Charitable Trust, a New Zealand-based organization running several dental projects in Cambodia, there is actually no shortage of dentists in the country. In fact, with five dental schools now churning out hundreds of graduates a year and thousands of “traditional” dentists operating without a license, Dr. Durward said many qualified young dentists—unwilling to leave Phnom Penh or offer cheaper rates following seven years of study—are facing unemployment. … The use of tobacco and betel leaf are the greatest risk factors for oral cancer among adults, while tooth decay in children is caused largely by poor diets laden with cheap sweets and the traditional practice of women breastfeeding toddlers late at night. …
Holly Robertson and Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/ngos-starting-to-stop-the-rot-of-cambodian-teeth-59490/
