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National Health And Morbidity Survey 2016 : Maternal And Child Health (MCH) Volume II : Findings

4.5. Care of Oral Health

Contributors : Yaw Siew Lian, Noor Aliyah Ismail, Natifah Che Salleh, Nurrul Ashikin Abdullah, Noor Ani Ahmad,
Mohd Fuad Mohd Anuar, Che Fadillah Che Abd. Aziz, Sharifah Nur Hanis Syed Noh, Norazizah Ibrahim Wong, Tahir Aris

4.5.1. Introduction

Milk or ‘baby’ teeth are important for many reasons. Not only are they needed to help children speak
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clearly and chew naturally, milk teeth are needed for the proper eruption of permanent teeth . Tooth
decay can happen at any age and it is important that healthy oral hygiene habits be started from
birth. The baby’s gum should be wiped with a clean moist gauze or wash cloth every day. Brushing
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should commence as soon as the first teeth appear . Up to 18 months of age, it is recommended that
the baby’s teeth be brushed with plain water once a day after their last feed. From 18 months to 2
years, it is recommended that parents begin teaching their child to brush their own teeth using a pea-
sized amount of toothpaste. From 2 to 8 years, young children should brush their teeth twice a day
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with parental supervision .

It is recommended that parents bring their child for their first dental visit before the child is two years
of age. Regular check up by the dentist is also advised to help diagnose and prevent tooth decay as
early as possible . Taking into consideration the importance of beginning oral healthcare for young
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children as early as possible, the Oral Health Division in the MOH has accorded high priority for oral
healthcare of toddlers (children below five years old) throughout the country. This programme started
as a pilot project in Sarawak in 1991 and subsequently expanded throughout the nation on an ad-hoc
basis in the following years. The findings of the National Oral Health Survey of Preschool Children in
2005 showed as high as 76.2% of 5-year-old preschool children had experience with dental caries .
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Following this, in 2008, a national guideline was produced to create oral health awareness among
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parents, child care providers and health personnel .

4.5.2. Findings

The findings below relate to eight questions in the Oral Health Module of the NHMS 2016
study, with areas of concern involving the perception of importance of oral healthcare for young
children, oral hygiene practices for them and dental visits.

Perception on importance of looking after children’s oral health

About 26.8% (95% CI: 21.55 – 32.76) of mothers reported that it was very important for them
to look after their child’s teeth, 72.8% (95% CI: 66.87 – 78.06) reported it was important, while
0.3% (95% CI: 0.16 – 0.55) did not think looking after their child’s teeth was important. A very
small proportion (0.1%, 95% CI: 0.06 – 0.17) of mothers reported not knowing the importance
of looking after their child’s teeth. Except for other ethnic groups, a significantly higher
proportion of Other Bumiputeras (39.5%, 95% CI: 30.02 – 49.93) compared to Malays (23.3%,
95% CI: 17.98 – 29.60), thought that looking after their child’s teeth was very important (Table
4.5.2.1).

1 http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/health-information/az-health-information/looking-after-childrens-teeth (accessed on 31 May 2016)
2 http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/Breastfeeding?source=Morning_Huddle (accessed on 10 June 2016)
3 http://www.aapd.org/resources/frequently_asked_questions/?print=y (accessed on 10 June 2016)
4 Oral Health Division. Ministry of Health Malaysia. National Oral Health Survey of Preschool Children 2005 (NOHPS 2005).
5 Oral Health Division. Ministry of Health Malaysia. May 2008. Guidelines Early Childhood Oral Healthcare. Never Too Early To Start.