A total of 671 children enrolled in Salvadoran PEPEs benefit from the Preventive and Educational Dentistry Program (POPE), which aims to teach daily oral care. In a partnership with Colgate Palmolive, a thousand kits containing toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste were donated to children.
Along with the delivery of the kits, preventive lectures were held with themes such as the importance of a healthy smile; the foods that should be consumed and those that should be avoided; frequent visits to the dentist; general knowledge of the teeth; and oral diseases.
The Ministry of Health of El Salvador conducted a study on oral health in which two thousand students from public schools between 4 and 15 years of age were analyzed. The study found that more than 60% of children have cavities and 20% of them need immediate treatment. It was also found that more than 80% of students had some level of plaque and that only 28% of 6-year-old children have healthy teeth.
PEPE has contributed to the transformation of this reality by forming healthy children to live a bright future in Christ Jesus.
Veronica Torrento – National Coordinator of PEPE in El Salvador
Translated by Letícia Pedrosa Rodrigues
