COIMBATORE: : In view of the increasing number of children coming to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for treatment of various dental ailments, the hospital has opened an Early Intervention Center (EIC) to treat such cases.
The EIC has been temporarily set up at the dental ward, and attempts are on to develop the centre as an independent unit by allotting separate space above the kitchen near the CMCH Blood Bank.
On an average, 3,000 patients visit the CMCH dental ward seeking treatment for various problems associated with their teeth, like tooth decay, infection, tooth pain, etc. Doctors here told Express that a good number of them are children between 8 to 14 years. Children usually come to the CMCH for tooth extraction, removal of tarter, filling and scaling. This had forced the CMCH to think about opening a separate unit for children.
In addition to this, the CMCH is also planning to conduct preventive programmes in all schools across the city to identify children having dental problems to provide them better treatment. A team of doctors from the CMCH will visit schools, and dental camp will also be conducted. Any child with dental problems would be sent to EIC for treatment.
At present, root-canal treatment is not available at the dental department of the CMCH, but once the new centre is opened, facilities for root-canal treatment will be available. In the absence of root-canal treatment, patients wanting to undergo the procedure, depend on private hospitals where they are charged between `4,000 to `10,000.
“It is due to the habit of regular eating of junk foods like chips, biscuits and the like, that children develop teeth problems. This has to be avoided, and teeth must be brushed everyday to keep them healthy and strong. Try to use paste and tooth powder having micro-particle size, and I think Colgate and Pepsodent are cost effective. The abrasive particle size in these tooth pastes are very micro and it won’t damage the teeth. Using powders and pastes containing macro granules would cause teeth damage,” said D Shivakumar, Professor of Dental Surgery, Dental Department, CMCH.
A Edwin Joe, Dean, CMCH, told Express, “I have asked the PWD to submit a plan to locate the EIC above the kitchen near the blood bank. In a couple of months it will become a reality.”