check-up, many are quite scared.
Supporting education and health for
children
By: Stella Lesmana (Founder of
Kesehatan Untuk Junior Indonesia)
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
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!
***
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.