The 25th of June is annually recognized as Day of the Seafarers. It is a day to honor the nearly two million sailors around the world, who help move 90% of the world’s trade and keep the global economy running.
The seafarer is a very important part of the marine business because they are the ones who make it work. But working on the water can be hard on the body and mind and put a threat on the general and mouth health of sailors.
Mrs. Päivi Miilunpalo has served as a professional surgeon at the Turku Maritime Medical Centre for over 10 years, during which time she has overseen medical exams of seafarers, occupational health services for Finnish sailors, and more. She is also a top doctor at the Institute of Occupational Health (TTL), where she takes care of the health problems of sailors all over the country.
Mrs. Miilunpalo says that the oral health of sailors is a major foreign issue in the shipping business. Seafarers spend months at a time on ships in foreign waters, where they have limited access to medical care if, for example, they have teeth problems.
One of the main reasons seafarers in international shipping have to be taken off ships and out of care is because of oral health problems. This is why it’s so important for marine workers to take care of their teeth and gums. If you are in the middle of the ocean and get a bad tooth infection or a terrible toothache, you can understand how terrible the situation can be.
Oral illness is common among seafers
Research shows that Seafarers may have problems with their teeth and gums. Oral diseases are mostly caused by how well sailors take care of their teeth and what they eat, as well as how often they use tobacco and drink.
During long sea trips, sailors’ eating habits can be especially bad for their mouth health. Long hours at work and not getting enough exercise often lead to drinking a lot of coffee and sugary drinks, snacking a lot, and eating a lot of carbs. All of these things increase the chance of tooth loss and even serious gum diseases like gingivitis if people don’t take good care of their teeth.
Studies show that tooth loss is even more dangerous for sailors than for the rest of the community. With the drugs in the medical kits on board, it can be hard to treat a toothache. But being in a lot of pain can hurt a seafarer’s ability to do their job, make it hard for them to focus, and even put everyone’s safety at risk.
On the other hand, dental care methods and standards can be very different in foreign places than what seafarers are used to at home. So, Seafarers need to take good care of their teeth and go to the dentist regularly, especially before setting sail.
In the marine industry, it’s also important to plan ahead
Workers in the marine field as Seafarers need to take care of their health and avoid getting sick. Since getting care takes longer when you work at sea, people with illnesses that are more likely to get worse quickly may not be able to join the industry.
– If you want to get a job in the marine industry, you need to think about this method. If you get sick at sea, you will always have to wait longer to get care. Mrs. Miilunpalo says that sometimes these delays can be very important to a person’s health or even life.
Miilunpalo says that sailors’ health checks include figuring out if they are fit to work on ships. In Finland, as in many other countries, a seafarer can only be checked out by a qualified seafarer’s doctor for the first time. Before joining the field or starting related studies, you need a valid medical license.
In Finland, the first test is done at a certain maritime health center, but a seafarer’s doctor can also update a seafarer’s certificate outside of the marine health center.
More information about mouth hygiene is needed to help sailors take better care of their oral health and improve their oral health. Under difficult conditions, life at sea can be stressful, so it’s important that sailors know everything there is to know about how to take care of their mouths and teeth and why it’s important to do so.
Other health problems, like heart disease, lung disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, have also been linked to bad mouth care. So, it is very important to improve the mouth health of sailors.
Seafarers need regular checks on mouth health
In Finland, Seafarers can get health care from the city of Helsinki. Oral health care is also part of these offerings. But Mrs. Miilunpalo says that sailors don’t have a method for getting regular dental checks. So, access to oral health care is the same for sailors as it is for other people.
In Finland, however, doctors who are licensed to treat sailors are increasingly looking in their patients’ mouths when they do annual health checks. Even though an oral exam by a doctor of workplace health is not the same as a full dental exam by a dentist, it is an important step because science is finding more and more proof of a link between oral health and overall health.
Taking care of your mouth and teeth is important for your overall health and can even help treat a long-term sickness. This is especially true for people who have been sick for a long time.
If you have pain in your mouth that lasts for a long time, it can affect your whole body. So, it is very important that when mouth problems come up, seafarer’s doctors send their patients to the dentist as soon as possible. Going to the dentist regularly is important because it helps find signs and symptoms of mouth problems early.
