Sunday 3 January 2010

284. Analysis of the National Study of Prevalence of Oral Diseases in 2008 (Part 2)

Summary

In the summary of the document it is stated that "Portugal in the last 20 years, has developed programs to promote health and prevent oral diseases based on universal strategies (for the entire population), selective (for risk groups) and indicated (for who have the disease), which monitoring has been conducted regularly by the Directorate General of Health." Here arises the reader the question about which programs to which you want to mention, should have been more specific and list which programs are implemented the country over the last twenty years and its population - the target for each. The question is asked: what was the program that the Health Ministry has implemented to promote the prevention of oral diseases, and a universal strategy for the entire population.
This study is the outcome of the survey of the situation in the 2005/06 school year, based on the diagnosis of the "prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases and fluorosis and understand some of its determinants, particularly those related dietary habits and oral hygiene" based on a sample of 2612 children aged 6, 12 and 15 years in public schools from across the country, including the autonomous regions. Knowing that most children attend public education, it is hereby open the possibility of moving to another study also to the universe consists of the remaining children who are out of public education: to what extent there will be coincidences and contrasts between the two universes and the reasons for that to happen?
Can the sample of 2612 children to be safe, to make himself an extrapolation to the global universe of children in the country, for those ages? The document points to "confidence indices within and between observers reached values of 92.8% and 88.9%, respectively", in relation to dental caries.
The study revealed knowledge and behaviors related to oral health. Thus, it was found that "at 6 years of age, 51% of Portuguese children are free of caries in deciduous or temporary or permanent"; in other words, at 6 years of age, half the children have had dental problems dentistry. Most aggravating is the fact that the DMFT index (Dental Caries) go from 0.07 to 6 years of age to 1.48 at 12 years of age and 3.04 at 15 years of age.
These values, albeit in different populations, a conclusion that there is a tendency of oral health problems worsen dramatically in late childhood and early adolescence of young people in our country. Thus, it is essential that the competent authorities to engage in prevention and treatment of dental problems of the population of primary school, generalizing their accessibility to medical oral health, while investing in education, encouraging the purchase of responsible behavior.
The analysis of these indicators shows that the situation is even more worrying in the islands, so the existence of an oral health card for all children and young people should be vital for epidemiological monitoring of this disastrous situation in some parts of the country.
The study notes that between 2000 and 2006, "there was an increase of 30% of young people with their teeth treated. These gains in oral health have resulted in large part, the process of contracting with the private sector for the provision of medical and dental care to children and young people." If so, then there is the immediate possibility of all children and young people to have access to these processes of contracting, since that will result in gains in oral health.
Advances the paper that "oral hygiene, questioned through the implementation of brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, was performed for 50% of children aged 6 years and 12 to 15 years by 67% and 69 % of young people respectively", ie between a third to half of children and young people is the best oral hygiene habits, the situation is serious, in that school and society are not complying with the duties of training leave the health of a large slice of its juvenile population. Since no one is born taught, the competent authorities to take no immediate measures to change this picture, facilitating the acquisition of a health education, not just in theory but mainly practice for children and young people, this role is for the school in addition to the family.
The study found that "the perception that young Portuguese had their oral health was good or very good for 50% and reasonable to so many"; sometimes happens that reality is very different from what is perceived by young people, so long but really, be done in terms of epidemiological surveillance of oral diseases among children and adolescents.
"After 20 years of oral health programs, aimed primarily at children and young people, the percentage of children free of caries at age 6, went from 10% in 1986 to 51% in 2006, the DMFT index of 1 , 1 to 0.07 and at 12 years of 3.97 to 1.48." Too little, too little, for a member country of the European Union, which came many thousands of euros for everything and anything which organized all sorts of events on a global scale, but where oral health for a wide most children and young people is only just a mirage, with the consequent permanent and irreversible consequences for the rest of their lives.

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