26 October 2023
Threesna Sharfina
Medan, October 26, 2023 - The Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, routinely holds Community Service activities, one of which is in the form of counseling with the title “Prevention and Treatment of Dental Caries to create healthy children's teeth free of stunting (Gasing).” The event was held at the Medan Petisah Sub-District Office, Medan. The event was held at the Medan Petisah Sub-District Office, Medan. The activity was chaired by drg. Siti Salmiah Sp.KGA(K) is part of supporting the government's program in eradicating stunting, namely by providing an understanding and introduction to good dental care, especially in children, by targeting 100 children under six years old and their parents.
Stunting is a physical condition of children with less than ideal posture, length, or height compared to their age. Based on Riskesdas data, the prevalence of stunting in 2018 was 30.8%, while based on BKKBN 2022 data in North Sumatra, the prevalence of stunting reached 58.9%. Having a specific disease for an extended period is a contributing factor to stunting. One type of disease most commonly experienced by children is dental caries. Dental caries is a contributing factor to the disruption of masticatory function, which impacts the poor nutritional status of children. This can be referred to the 2018 Basic Health Research data, which shows that the prevalence of dental caries in children under six years of age has reached 93%.
This alarming condition is a severe problem of society, especially in children, because it has an impact on suboptimal physical and mental development. In addition, it is necessary to build awareness about the importance of maintaining nutrition and oral health since pregnancy and toddlerhood as one of the steps to prevent stunting. The community must also continue to be given sufficient knowledge about oral care, which significantly contributes to stunting.
In addition to drg. Siti Salmiah Sp.KGA (K), this service activity was also attended by two resource persons, namely dr. Ika Citra Dewi Tanjung, M.Ked (Ped), Sp A (K), a lecturer at the USU Faculty of Medicine who conducted counseling on understanding stunting to parents, the symptoms and causes of stunting and good nutrition for infants and toddlers to be free from stunting.
While Dr. drg. Essie Octiara, Sp.KGA, as the second speaker, discussed the prevention of caries to be free from stunting. She advised me not to forget to brush my teeth two times a day. She provided education on how to brush children's teeth properly and what needs to be done by parents, as well as a deep understanding of the importance of oral care from an early age and a healthy diet and its impact on child growth. In addition, free dental care was also provided to children under five in the form of fillings and prevention of cavities.
