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Asia News Group Editor/Managing Daniel Zimmermann Editor DT Asia Pacific newsroom@dental-tribune.com Tel.: +49-341/4 84 74-107 Editorial Assistant Claudia Salwiczek c.salwiczek@dental-tribune.com Copy Editors Sabrina Raaff Hans Motschmann President/CEO Torsten Oemus Vice President/Marketing & Sales Peter Witteczek Director of Finance & Controlling Dan Wunderlich Marketing & Sales Services Nadine Parczyk License Inquiries Jörg Warschat Accounting Manuela Hunger Product Manager Bernhard Moldenhauer Executive Producer Gernot Meyer Ad Production Marius Mezger Designer Franziska Dachsel Licensing by Dental Tribune International Publisher Torsten Oemus International Imprint Dental Tribune International Holbeinstr. 29, 04229, Leipzig, Germany Tel.: +49-341/4 84 74-302 Fax: +49-341/4 84 74-173 Internet: www.dental-tribune.com E-mail: info@dental-tribune.com Regional Offices Asia Pacific DT Asia Pacific Ltd. c/o Yonto Risio Communications Ltd, 20A, Harvard Commercial Building, 105-111 Thomson Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +852-3113-6177 Fax: +852-3113-6199 The Americas Dental Tribune America, LLC 213 West 35th Street, Suite 801, New York, NY 10001, USA Tel.: +1-212-244-7181 Fax: +1-212-224-7185 DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · Asia Pacific Edition Published by Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Ltd. © 2010, Dental Tribune International GmbH. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typograph- ical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. International Editorial Board Dr Nasser Barghi, Ceramics, USA Dr Karl Behr, Endodontics, Germany Dr George Freedman, Esthetics, Canada Dr Howard Glazer, Cariology, USA Prof. Dr I. Krejci, Conservative Dentistry, Switzerland Dr Edward Lynch, Restorative, Ireland Dr Ziv Mazor, Implantology, Israel Prof. Dr Georg Meyer, Restorative, Germany Prof. Dr Rudolph Slavicek, Function, Austria Dr Marius Steigmann, Implantology, Germany Daniel Zimmermann DTI HONG KONG/LEIPZIG, Germany: Dentists from the Beijing Stoma- tological Hospital have released new figures that indicate poor oral hygiene practices in more than50percentofadults.Accord- ing to the survey by the Hospital’s Oral Disease Prevention Depart- ment, less than half of middle- aged residents in the Chinese cap- ital clean their teeth even twice a week and no more than 1 per cent of people use dental floss. The figures apply to the rest of the country, in which even more people are often reluctant to maintain an oral hygiene practice. A 2007 study by the World Health Organization has shown that in some parts of the country, only one in four adults brush their teeth or pay regular visits to their dentist. “People do know the impor- tanceoforalhealth,butlessthan 15 per cent went to the Depart- ment of Stomatology last year. Less than 1 per cent have had regularoralexaminations.”Han Yongcheng, Director of the Oral Disease Prevention Department told the newspaper China Daily. “Most people only went to the clinics for toothaches.” He added that according to the survey, more than 60 per cent of the patients observed have dental caries and 80 per cent suffer from gingivitis. The Beijing municipal gov- ernment has already invested US$2 million in caries preven- tion programmes but admitted they need to do more to im- prove the oral health status of the city’s citizens. An oral dis- ease prevention programme was set up last year that aims to popularise health informa- tion, such as correct tooth- brushing, and advocate healthy food, tobacco control and exer- cise. They aim for more than 90 per cent of residents to brush their teeth twice a day by 2014. DT AD Beijing dentists raise alarm over poor oral hygiene practices Daniel Zimmermann DTI HONG KONG/LEIPZIG, Germany: Philippinecitizensabove60years of age will soon have access to cheaper dental and medical serv- ices.Anewlawrecentlypassedby Congress entitles seniors to ex- emptionfromthevalue-addedtax of 20 per cent on goods and serv- ices, including dental fees. The law, known as the Expanded Sen- ior Citizens Act of 2010, will also provide seniors with free medical and dental services in all govern- ment hospitals, medical facilities and out-patient clinics. Accordingtothelatestgovern- ment statistics, there are approx. 6 million people over the age of 60 living in the Philippines. Nu- merous organisations for the elderly have rallied heavily in the past few months to press Presi- dent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promulgate the law. However, the Act could mean a significant reduction in income for dental health-care workers, as more than 85 per cent of den- tistsarecurrentlyinprivateprac- tice. Finance officials said that enforcing the Act could lead to annual revenue losses of be- tween US$8.5 and US$22 million in all private sectors in years to come. Dental fees in the Philippines range from US$10 for a tooth- coloured filling to more than US$400forcrownsandbridges. DT Filipino seniors receive exemption from taxation. (DTI/Photo Supri Suharjoto) Philippines include dental fees in senior tax exemption