The deputy health minister has announced the ministry's plan for dental care services for children under 14 and pregnant women in the current Iranian year, started March 21.
Ali Akbar Sayari told IRNA that one of the services provided under the dental care package is using varnish fluoride, a substance that increases teeth resistance towards caries and decay, twice a year. It covers teeth similar to nail polish and protects and fortifies them.
He pointed to the lack of expert dental personnel and said specialists would be gradually recruited and added to the country's health system.
According to medical studies in 2011, the average number of decayed teeth in 6-year old children was 7.5, which could be prevented with better dental care like brushing teeth after a meal.
Dental health is also significant for expecting mothers and their babies but a very low percentage of women visit the dentist during pregnancy.
