U.S. Forces Help With Dental Care in Philippines

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 24, 2010 - For the past 20 years, dental care has been somewhat of an afterthought in the Philippines, especially in the country's southern provinces. But with help from the American military, health care professionals here are working to change that trend through education and outreach. A small crew of local dentists provided care and consultation to more than 70 patients in Marwi City Feb. 22 and handed out more than 500 toothbrushes. U.S. troops from Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines provided much of the dental equipment and local anesthetics in support of the city's awareness campaign.

"The American and [Philippine] military has helped greatly in our work for dental and health care awareness," Dr. Pamela Tabao, a dentist and health services consultant for the Mawari City government, said. "We're really thankful for their support [and] their help."

With the aid of U.S. forces, the local government has proclaimed February as Oral Care Month. Local health-care professionals are using the time to raise awareness and to provide free care to poor residents in and around the city.

Similar outreach programs already have taken place in three nearby townships, with a few others scheduled this month.

The initiative is only a minor step in terms of the number of people affected, but considering the high percentage of Filipinos who suffer dental illnesses, the campaign has been a great success, Tabao said.

Much remains to be done, however, as about 97 percent of the Philippine population suffers from dental illnesses such as gingivitis, and that statistic hasn't changed since 1987, she said.

The country is fraught with cultural and economic challenges, she explained, which has made providing education and raising awareness extremely difficult. Mawari, which is known for its high Muslim population, is among the most under-cared-for populations in the country, she said.

Phil Health, the Philippine government's version of U.S. Medicaid, provides some drugs and equipment based on the number of people enrolled, but just a small portion of the populace actually participate in the program.

"It is not easy to educate people about dental health programs, and this is true to all of the Philippines," Tabao said. "The government has not given priority to the dental programs in this city or the whole Philippines in many years. It is one of the major problems in the department of health, and there's little solution."

Because of its poor economy, outreach is nearly impossible without foreign support and aid, Tabao said. But she added that she remains optimistic and will continue her efforts to educate those in need.

"We want to give service to as many people as we can," she said. "Our mission, our objective, is to reach out to those who can't afford to pay. This problem will hopefully get better one day, as we must keep trying."

The U.S. task force and Philippine military here have developed similar relationships with health care professionals throughout the southern Philippines, especially in insurgent strongholds. Dental and other health-care equipment and drugs are purchased in the Philippines.