Name of Office: FHO, NCDPC

The combined ill effects of these two major diseases although not considered killer diseases (except oral cancer) weaken bodily defense and serve as portal of entry to other more serious, potentially dangerous and opportunistic infections overlapping other diseases present.  Serious conditions include arthritis, heart disease, endocarditis, gastro-intestinal diseases, and ocular-skin-renal diseases.

Aside from physical deformity, these two oral diseases may also cause disturbance of speech significant enough to affect work performance, nutrition, social interactions, income, and self-esteem.         

Poor oral health poses detrimental effects on school performance and mars success in later life. In fact, children who suffer from poor oral health are 12 times more likely to have restricted-activity days (USGAO 2000). In the Philippines, toothache is a common ailment among schoolchildren, and is the primary cause of absenteeism from school (Araojo 2003, 103-110). Indeed, dental and oral diseases create a silent epidemic, placing a heavy burden on Filipino schoolchildren.