Covid19 and Oral Health Care
Actual teeth brushing campaign
Currently, we do not actually ask teeth brushing education to prevent the sudden spread of coronavirus infection even after the infection peak has ended.
Resumption will be possible after the acquisition of population immunity in Bangladesh, probably one year after the peak of infection.
The world may be a completely different society before and after Covid 19.
What should we do now that we can no longer do a fun and exciting "tooth brushing camp at school"?.
* (Passive) "Check up of materials such as past methods, plans, results, etc". Because we can do only them now..
* (Active) For the preparation for tooth brushing instruction and oral hygiene instruction after Covid 19, we now do "Check up of materials such as past methods, plans, results, etc"..
The behavior of people has already changed due to Covid 19's turmoil. .
A certain level of awareness is formed. Not everything collapsed into a 0 basis..
The data such as past methods, plans and results should be evaluated with hope..
* (Previous method) Something fun and exciting@with a little scary. -- Experience, Awareness as a kind of simulated experience (true awakening). -- Strong transformation of behavior.
* (Now we have@to )Awareness as a result of knowledge and enlightenment (pseudo awakening that is only an audiovisual experience) -- transformation (improvement) of behavior
Awareness -- Behavioral changes -- Results associated with behavioral changes -- New awareness -- New behavioral changes -- Social changes
For the time being, in order to prevent the outbreak of infection clusters by Covid 19, we will not be able to carry out events such as dental camps at risk of infection.
There is no choice but to carry out small-scale education at the local community.
In other words, there is no alternative but to keep a safe social distance, divide the participants into small groups, and conduct education many times.
But rejecting preventive medical measures such as vaccinations etc. for fear of Covid 19 would endanger society with more dangerous illnesses.
Oral health is not as urgently necessary as vaccination, but if not done at all it can cause great losses to society.
Now we are working about "Develop/Educate oral health care specialists system!"
* Aim to create a system that trains the dental and medical staff of each Upazila Health Complex and makes a tour by them to provide oral health care guidance in their area and elementary school.
* For this reason, create a place where we can practice some training at an elementary school near Dhaka and a tea plantation in Sylhet.
* Training oral health care instructors (dentists) who can train oral health care specialists at the above locations.
Enlighten local dentists and healthcare administration about the need/importance for both oral health care and oral health care specialists.
Enlighten locals about the need/importance for oral health care.
* Get broad publicity in the media such as TV newspapers about the development of tooth brushing camp and oral health care specialists.
Infection protection in oral examination
The epidemic of coronavirus infectious disease-19 has caused people to be vigilant.
Attention also must be paid to the spread of rumors.(The coronavirus itself is easily disinfected.
Tuberculosis is more problem during normal times.)
However, when infected, the fatality rate is as high as 5%!
One alternative is to avoid oral examinations and actual tooth brushing, and education just by using picture-story and model.
Disinfection is important when reusing equipment.
Disinfection is difficult in remote areas. Also in-situ simple disinfection may result in cross contamination.
A good method is wrapping equipment one by one with a sheet soaked in sodium hypochlorite after using .
( Wrap the mirror etc. in a mummy like state with a disinfecting sheet.)
Disinfection and cleaning will be again at the accommodation place.
Basically avoid reusing cups etc.
(If re-use is necessary, first wash with water one by one.Then immerse in a bucket containing sodium hypochlorite diluent, and finally wash with water and reuse.)
Normally, cups are primarily washed one by one with water. Then, a diluted sodium hypochlorite solution is sprayed.
The cup is then stored in a bucket.
Immediately after arriving at the accommodation, immerse the cup in the bucket by the sodium hypochlorite diluent.
And finally wash with water and reuse.
Weight and height measuring device ¨ Wipe frequently with a sheet soaked with sodium hypochlorite
** Using rubber gloves are needed because sodium hypochlorite is harmful to the skin.
Infrared remote thermometer / Non-contact thermometer and Keeping distance method
To prevent infection, keep a social distance when lining up and teaching in the classroom.
It is also necessary to measure the body temperature with a non-contact thermometer (infrared thermometer).
Hand washing Lecture & Demonstration
Due to the expansion of Covid 19, local governments, schools, and target local residents will/may ask us to provide hand washing instruction at Dental Camp.
materials to prepare
* Hand soap
* Wash basin, Bowl
* Towel
* Bucket
* Disinfectant, Sodium Hypochlorite (medium level disinfectant)
( The use of alcohol might cause problems.)
* Water
* Spray bottle (for spraying diluted sodium hypochlorite.)
* Rubber gloves (for disinfection operation)
PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for oral checkers
* Surgical mask
* Goggles. Disposable type is also used
* Face shield.( Basically, Oral examination can not be performed when at the site face shield is required !)
* White coat
* Disposable plastic gloves
* Hand washing materials after examination
* Rubber gloves (for disinfection operation)
Health promotion activities using IT under Covid19 pandemic.
Ironically, because of Covid 19, Internet-based video conferencing is widespread all over the world.
At the same time in Bangladesh, personal computers are distributed even to some rural elementary schools under the slogan of "IT Bangla".
Therefore
1) Using Wi-Fi, fixed internet line or USB memory (pin drive) , we can distribute some videos of tooth brushing campaign and hand washing campaign.
Also we can ask healthcare workers to watch the video and conducts training in a conference room at local health complex .
2) If possible, we will use a Wi-Fi to communicate with a small number of school children and instructors in the classroom.
Also If possible, we can train local healthcare workers using video conferencing systems.
As for SNS, Facebook and YouTube are the most common in Bangladesh, so we will conduct educational activities using them.
Until now, we used to create a fixed home page in English using ordinary HTML5 and WordPress like this page, but we need to switch to Facebook and YouTube using Bengali as soon as possible.
Data at 11th June 2020
Data from Financial times