Dental and mouth disease on the rise

BANDUNG: Dental and mouth diseases among Indonesians is on the rise in the last 20 years with 90 percent of the population having suffered with dental and mouth problems.

Speaking at a meeting on dental health here on Monday, Ahmad Djojosugito, director general of medical services at the Ministry of Health, said that a 1998 study found that Indonesians had lost an average of four teeth due to the dental disease.

Another speaker, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, Ascobat Gani said his research in East Nusa Tenggara province in 1998, found that dental and mouth disease resulted in a loss equivalent to Rp 175 billion in the province.

"While the province revenue was only Rp 35 billion then," he said adding that due to the disease people were forced to become absent from productive activity.

"Those suffering from dental disease in East Nusa Tenggara have lost a total of 76-years productive time. The Rp 175 billion comes from the unproductive years multiplied by the then local minimum wage," Ascobat explained. (25/sur)