IN ITALY 1 in 5 children does not brush their teeth twice a day and among adults, who should lead by example, the situation is no better. More than 1 in 2 adults in Italy said they did not brush their teeth during the pandemic due to laziness and 2 out of 5 adults spent whole days without brushing their teeth.
The data that emerge from the study conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence for the Oral Care division of Unilever which analyzed the behaviors and habits of Italians during this last year of the pandemic are worrying. Precisely in this historical moment in which personal hygiene should be a priority for the protection of our health, we let ourselves go in the home, abandoning ourselves to laziness and seemingly forgetting good habits.
Covid: Pandemic stress also consumes teeth
by Tina Simoniello
Children with learning disabilities
As never before, stressing the concepts of prevention and hygiene routines is fundamental and urgent and is deeply linked to the responsibility of adults towards children. Mentadent in collaboration with Andi (National Association of Italian Dentists) and Andi Onlus Foundation, starts again with the provident Smiles project, from this year 100% digital and even more inclusive because it is enriched with materials and tools that can be used by children with learning disabilities and language barriers in the family.
According to MIUR data in Italy about 250,000 students have permanent or temporary disabilities of which 2% in kindergarten and 3.3% in primary school. The students diagnosed with intellectual disabilities they are about 46%. In fact, linguistic access can also constitute a barrier, foreign students represent about 10% of Italian students and the highest percentage, 36.5%, attend primary school. It is therefore essential to produce materials that are usable by all, a help for teachers who interface with large classes and for parents who follow the routine of their children at home. From this year, in fact, the guide on oral hygiene dedicated to parents is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Romanian and English, to make these tools accessible.
Periodontitis, an additional risk of getting sick with Covid
by Paola Mariano
Thanks to the support of Fondo Scuola Italia, Sorrisi Previdenti reaches primary schools and preschools, proposing educational materials suitable for both face-to-face, integrated and remote teaching. Participating schools are over 450 for a total of over 11,000 students. Children will follow a program dedicated to oral hygiene developed in modules, which focus on good oral hygiene practices, mouth characteristics and proper nutrition to maintain healthy teeth. The classes involved will participate in a contest, as a prize, a tablet for distance learning and a kit for oral hygiene for children and teachers.
Thus parents give up on taking care of their children for financial problems
by Claudia Carucci
The health of the mouth
The study carried out by Edelman Data & Intelligence analyzed the trend of oral health in different countries in relation to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Italy, despite 69% of respondents declare that the coronavirus has made them more attentive to their general psycho-physical state, the habit of brushing their teeth less than 2 times a day (20% of the sample) has taken root. It is precisely these bad habits of parents that affect the oral health of the little ones. The research also shows that the direct relationship with the dentist has also failed, with the pandemic in fact over 69% of Italians avoided going to the dentist for a check-up and over 60% did not go to the dentist even in case of pain or obvious pathologies.
Let’s take a deep breath
by Elisa Manacorda
Focus on prevention
“Participating again this year in the realization of a path of awareness and prevention, dedicated to the world of school and based on the principle of inclusion and integration, moreover in a moment that is putting the most fragile children in particular difficulties, is something that fills us with pride and satisfaction. In fact, a truly wide-ranging program of education in oral health and correct lifestyles can only start from the youngest and necessarily involve primary school “, he explains. Giovanni Mancini, president of the Andi Foundation.
The materials of the Sorrisi Previdenti project will be accessible to everyone on the website www.sorrisiprevidenti.it and on the SORRISI PREVIDENTI app available for iOS and Android, and will be conveyed to schools through Fondo Scuola Italia, a non-profit association active since 2015 with the mission to find resources and services to make them available to schools, a bridge between businesses and the world of education. For more information on the project, visit the website: www.sorrisiprevidenti.it
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