Quality of oral health care in Cambodia
Heng Sopanha
University of Health Sciences
Cambodia
Contents
 About Cambodia
 Dental situation in Cambodia
 Dental Education in Cambodia
 Preventive of oral healthcare
 Issue and point of improvement
About Cambodia
 The Kingdom of Cambodia
 Capital city: Phnom Penh, with 23 provinces
 The Number of the population:
approximately 14,000,000
 Religion: Buddhist
Dental situation in Cambodia
 The number of the dentist
approximately 420 persons
 Dental nurse: 250 persons
 The number of the dental schools: 2(1 Government
and 1 private sector).
 Duration of the training: 7 years
There are approximately 70 % medical institutions
in Phnom Penh because of infrastructure
Oral Health Problem
 National survey on DMFT, 12 year old in 1990-91

Phnom Penh DMFT 3.2

Provinces DMFT 1.0

Whole country DMFT 1.6
 Dental services are minimal with most of the care
provided being for the relief of pain.
 High rates of carries in primary teeth (dmft age
6>10)
Oral Health problem
 Mekong river water in Cambodia 0.5 ppm(WC &
MOH surveillance data, 1993)
 Most carries was untreated, ¾ of caries affected the
molar teeth mostly the occlusal surfaces.
 Plaque accumulation status, and unsanitary
environment have very significant influences to the
periodontal inflammatory status.
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
 Total fertility rate: 3.4 (2009)
 Average of Life expectancy in Cambodia:
Approximately 60 years old
 There are many the elderly people in the rural
area.
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
Mobile treatment in a village
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
The situation on an aging in Cambodia
The situation of dental care in Cambodia
Ultra sonic scaler in Dental Bus
Dental Education in Cambodia
 Faculty of Odonto stomatology (UHS)
 Oral-Health office (MOH)
 School health Department (MOE)
 Dentists, Dental Nurses, Dental workers
 School directors, hygienist teachers, teachers and school children.
Faculty of Odonto stomatology
 Is the Faculty to produced graduate till now over 400
person, they are work in the city and rural area.
 To improve oral health education and Services in
Cambodia
 Promote the competencies for teaching and learning
to build up the capacity of the dental practitioners
among Cambodia, such as upgrade the knowledge,
share experiences, expertise, advanced technologies.
Faculty of Odon tostomatology
Program:
- Program title: Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery.
Objectives:
The graduates from this program should:
- Have adequate knowledge in basic medical sciences and research
in dental profession.
- Have the ability in examination, diagnosis, treatment of oral
diseases and appropriate rehabilitation of oral cavity and related
organs, base on the holistic approaches. Including awareness of
self-limitation for the highest benefit of the patient.
Faculty of Odo (cont)
Duration of Study: 7 years
The first three years: Students attend course in Basic Sciences
(First Phase)
1st year
2nd year
3rd year
The next two years: Emphasize Basic Dental Sciences and preclinical Practice.
(Second Phase)
4th year
5th year
Faculty of Odo (cont)
The final two years: Focus on Clinical Dentistry
(Third Phase) 6th year
7th year
By the end of the first Phase, students obtain a Certificate of Basic
Sciences.
By the end of second Phase, students have to pass a theory and
clinical practice and they will get a Bachelor of Dentistry.
After the Bachelor of Dentistry , students can continue in the third
Phase. The third Phase in for 2 to 3 years. The study in third
Phase conduced to degree:
Diploma of Doctor of Dental Surgery.
National Oral Health Preventive Program
Ministry of Health
(MOH)
Ministry of Education (MOE)
School Health Department
Faculty of Odonto stomatology
Research and Planning Office
NGO, OI Support
Private Support
Colgate
Working group implementation on
National Oral Health Preventive
Program in Cambodia
WC 1991-1997
AOI 1998-2004
OISDE.
Oral health preventive program
Dental health Activities in school
 Tooth brushing



organized in primary schools
Are directed by class monitors and teachers.
Toothbrush and toothpaste are provided to the grade 3 and 4,
the others have to buy those by themselves.
 Mouth ringing


Weekly mouth rinsing sessions with NaF Powder (2g/l).
Monthly supervising and monitoring is made by Dentists and
School Directors
Prevention of oral health care
Oral health education
strategy for oral health education to communities
 strategy for oral health education to schools
 strategy for oral health education to pregnancy women and
expectant mothers.

Issue and point improvement
- The role of dentist and dental nurse in public oral service in
Cambodia
- Provider of dental service in Cambodia
. The new area in Dental education in Cambodia
. Few cases of elderly patients in Cambodia
. Few opportunities to know about the situation of elderly
(To see hospitals...)
- Utilization and financing of public of dental service in Cambodia
. Equipment and instruments
. Materials and items
. Essential drug for public oral service
Basic learning on
Communities oral health research and research methodology
 Oral health and quality of life
 Oral health as part of general health
 Barriers to oral health care
 Health system of Cambodia
 National oral health policy and national oral health planning.

Conclusion
For education of geriatric dentistry in Cambodia
has just been started, and we are tackling to
organize the curriculum.
We think that the most important thing is to pay
attention to not only dental treatments for the
elderly but an aging society because they will be in
charge of the future’s situation at the present.
Shihanoukville in Cambodia
Thank you for your attention !!