Tuesday 15 September 2020

725. The free oral health clinic for young people up to 18 years old has already opened

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724. 10 medical tips to prevent tooth decay

If caries is not treated in a timely manner, it may evolve to the point where endodontic treatment (devitalization) is necessary, or even the extraction of the tooth in question. Contrary to what one might think, to care for teeth and prevent tooth decay it is not enough to brush your teeth, some food care is also necessary, and with instruments for oral hygiene.
However, none of the following tips is valid without periodic visits to the dentist. The following tips can help you prevent cavities:
1. Reduce your sugar consumption
Sugars are the main source of acid production by bacteria responsible for tooth decay. Its reduction helps to prevent tooth decay. Avoid treats whenever possible, and whenever you eat sugars, brush your teeth or rinse your mouth.
2. Use dental floss
The use of wire reduces the formation of interdental plaque, promoting dental and gingival health.
3. Brush your teeth after every meal
Brushing reduces oral biofilm that contains the bacteria responsible for tooth decay. Brushing with fluoride pastes also helps to remineralize teeth.
4. Change brushes at most every 3 months
Brushes normally have a longevity of 3 months or less. If you notice that your brush's bristles are opening before that time, it means it's time to change your brush.
5. Always brush your teeth before bed
Salivation decreases dramatically when we are sleeping, which reduces the remineralizing action of the saliva itself on the teeth, which, caries is the most common oral disease and is triggered essentially by lack of oral hygiene or inadequate oral hygiene. It is also enhanced by factors such as eating habits, lack of fluoride and smoking, together with the presence of food debris increases the action of bacteria responsible for caries.
6. Avoid smoking
Tobacco reduces the immunity of oral flora, which in turn increases the incidence of diseases, including tooth decay
7. Drink lots of water
Fluoridation of community water is an effective and low-cost way to achieve the fluoride exposure necessary to help prevent tooth decay. Studies show that water fluoridation is still effective in reducing tooth decay by 20 to 40%. Fluorine is a mineral that can occur naturally in sources of drinking water - oceans, lakes, rivers and groundwater. Comprehensive research has shown that optimal fluoride levels not only reduce tooth decay in children and adults, but also help to repair cavities in the early stages.
On the other hand, water intake contributes to increase salivation, balancing the PH in the mouth, which prevents the proliferation of bacteria.
8. Attention to bruxism
Bruxism (clenching or gnashing of the teeth) can cause small cracks or wear on the teeth, conducive to the accumulation of bacteria responsible for the development of caries. Try to diagnose and resolve bruxism problems.
9. Clean your tongue
The tongue is an area of ​​bacterial accumulation that is often overlooked in hygiene. Use language-specific cleaners
10. Visit your dentist regularly
Only a dentist will know how to diagnose caries lesions early and act accordingly. Only this healthcare professional will be able to do professional cleanings that guarantee the removal of all accumulated dental plaque.
The advice is from the dentist José Afonso Teixeira.

Friday 21 February 2020

723. APOMED: There are professionals in health centers whose careers and daily clinical practice are incompatible under the law

The Portuguese Association of Public Service Dentists (APOMED-SP), recently constituted, says that in its opinion it should not be considered that there are dentists in Health Centers.
The association thus accuses the Government of having placed in the Health Centers, within the scope of the pilot project that was created in 2015 to offer medical consultations in the SNS, senior technicians of the general career, graduates or masters in Dentistry and, therefore, duly qualified for this clinical practice, but whose career and daily clinical practice are incompatible under the law.
In a note sent to the newsrooms, which summarizes the association's management meeting that took place last January 16 to take stock of oral health in Portugal, APOMED-SP underlines that in the opinion of APOMED-SP (…) it should not be considered that there are dentists in Health Centers (…) There are still service providers, with green receipts, placed in Health Centers by private companies that hire them. In accordance with Law No. 63/2013 of 27 August and with Article 12 of Law 7/2009 of 14 September, these contracts are based on false green receipts: they do not work at their own location, but in a place that belongs to someone else, where the company sends them to present; they use equipment and other materials that do not belong to them; are required to attend attendance; have goals to fulfill, set by the company or by the Health Services; they receive a fixed monthly salary, which may differ from company to company or even depending on the place of work.
The association representing public service dentists also says that in order to standardize procedures, rights and duties, there is an urgent need to approve the special dental medicine career to the Ministry of Finance, taking into account that that career was approved at the Ministry of Health in November 2017 and since then no further progress is known in this process.
Dentists without assistants
APOMED-SP also denounces several issues related to safety and quality in the provision of oral health care in the National Health Service, referring that currently, there are doctors who work without an assistant (they work, therefore, alone). Thus, when carrying out the treatments that fall within their competence, they cannot guarantee the required quality. More: there are situations in which the safety of the user and the professional can be seriously compromised, in the absence of an assistant. The problem has already been reported on several occasions to higher levels, without taking any steps towards its resolution.
Some dentists do not have access to the patient's clinical file properly. Thus, they have more difficulty in identifying all the associated pathology, nor what is the current therapy. Many users do not know how to explain to the dentist neither of those two situations. It is easy, therefore, in these cases, to make gross errors in clinical terms by limiting access to computer systems, under the same conditions as other doctors, the association also accuses.
Furthermore, the association reveals that the referral of patients to the dentist is mandatorily done by the family doctor, sometimes it happens in open consultation and not by the family doctor. If the dentist needs to refer a patient to the Hospital Services, namely to the Stomatology or Maxillofacial Surgery Service, he must ask the family doctor again (when available) to do so. This situation is devoid of nexus and the most elementary common sense.
It is not understood that the dentist cannot refer you to the hospital. Likewise, it is not perceived that the dentist cannot refer patients to the so-called dental check program, and this referral is in charge of other health professionals, some without specific preparation in oral health and preventing other professionals with health training. oral (for example, Oral Hygienists) can do it directly for SO-CSP (sometimes even following their activities in School Health), he concludes.
 

Tuesday 14 January 2020

722. Private and dental medicine in Portugal: a good business

In 2017, Novo Banco assumed losses of around 500 million euros with the credits of eight debtors. Among them is the Maló Group.
According to the online economic newspaper Eco, citing Correio da Manhã, among the business groups that most required the financial institution to set up to cover potential losses are Promovalor, Grupo Lena and SCG, Prebuild, MSF Group, Tiner Group and Moniz da Maia Group. In the oral health area, the highlight goes to the Maló Group.
Debts reach high values. With the provisioning of around 500 million, the eight clients represent 24% of potential losses of 2,057 million euros assumed by Novo Banco in 2017.