Prevention and prophylaxis in children are part of ZFA training
On the Day of Dental Health on September 25th, Sylvia Gabel, Head of the Department for Dental Assistants (ZFA) in the Association of Medical Professionals eV, draws attention to the role of her professional colleagues in improving the oral health of children and young people in Germany.
“If today 80 percent of 12-year-olds are free of caries, then that is also a result of the teamwork in the dental practices. ZFA and trained colleagues who take on important tasks in dental prophylaxis and dental hygiene as ZMP, ZMF or DH1 have made a decisive contribution to this. Group prophylaxis in day care centers and schools – as well as treatment in the dental practice – is unthinkable without them. ZFA not only work as an assistant, they also explain to the children healthy nutrition, teach them cleaning techniques suitable for children and take away their fear of the treatment. This is already part of the training. After appropriate qualification, they also provide other services that are part of individual prophylaxis after being delegated by the dentist.”
As ZMF, Sylvia Gabel herself is part of a team that takes care of day-care centers and schools as part of group prophylaxis. She adds: “By dealing with the children, we are always aware of how important it is to address the topic of healthy teeth at an early stage and to explain them in a playful way. It must be ensured that children have a desire for a healthy life, sport, exercise and fun. A tooth-healthy diet is part of it and starts at home. We convey this to the little ones when we visit the kindergarten. However, it is also important to have a parents’ evening afterwards, in order to make it clear how tooth-healthy nutrition works in the family. A healthy breakfast is quickly explained and demonstrated. Daily tooth brushing should also be seen as a ritual in private households, because a clean tooth does not become ill.”
Her goal: “If we have established tooth brushing and healthy eating and it is practiced every day, the number of early childhood caries will drop significantly. Because 80 percent caries-free is not the end of the road.”
Source: Association of Medical Professionals eV