子育て｜虫歯のある子どもが過去最少に / Child-rearing | The number of children with cavities is at an all-time low.

Summary

According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the percentage of children with cavities has reached an all-time low, dropping below 20% for kindergarteners for the first time.

This result is believed to reflect improvements in children’s lifestyle habits and oral hygiene. On the other hand, there is a noticeable trend of increasing numbers of children with vision below 1.0 as they progress to higher grades. In response, parents and educators need to consider further health promotion measures.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chako: Hey Log, I heard that the percentage of kids with cavities is at an all-time low! Isn’t that amazing?
Log: It really is! For kindergarteners to be below 20% is a significant improvement. It might be that their lifestyles are getting better.
Chako: But it seems like the number of kids with poor eyesight is increasing with each grade. I wonder why that is?
Log: It could be because the academic workload is getting heavier, which strains their eyes more. What do you think, Navi?
Navi: Possible causes for declining eyesight include prolonged screen time and inadequate lighting conditions. We need to reassess our habits.
Chako: I see! We really need to take care of our health!

Admin’s Note

Recent survey results indicate that the rate of cavities among children is decreasing, which is great news for parents and educators. However, the increasing prevalence of vision problems is concerning. Especially now that digital environments have become a part of everyday life, it’s urgent to implement measures to protect children’s eyesight. I believe it’s important to teach balanced lifestyle habits and proper ways to use their eyes. We should continue to prioritize health education moving forward.