Intervention of the Minister of Health in the closing session
of the XVI Congress of Dentists Doctors in Lisbon (23-11-2007)
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President of the Order of Doctors Dentist, Orlando Monteiro da Silva, President of the Scientific Committee, António Felino, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Marcus Veiga, honorable Congressmen:
It is with great honor and pleasure to participate in the closing session of the XVI Congress of the Order of Doctors and Dentists in the signing of the Protocol of Cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Medical Association of Dentists in the Congress Center of Lisbon. This is the main scientific and social event of Dental Medicine and a major medical events held in Portugal, with the presence of professionals and students and is a meeting point between the doctors and dentists foreign Portuguese.
The main lines of action of health policy defined in the program of the XVII Constitutional Government is the reform of primary health care, the reform of continuing care for the elderly and strengthening the sustainability of the SNS (National Health Service). Policies are based on health promotion and disease prevention but also based on proximity between the doctor and the citizen and improving the accessibility to health care.
Dentists, as regards the development of the National Oral Health Promotion, in the projects' Oral Health in Pregnant "and" Oral Health in Older People ', while the collaboration with the Oral Health of Children. On November 6, during the presentation of the State Budget for 2008 to Parliament, the Government announced new targets and new target groups in the area of Oral Health. They fall into a broader objective, the National Program for the Promotion of Oral Health, which I will announce:
The first objective of the National Program for Promotion of Oral Health is to expand access to priority groups and vulnerable to dental care, particularly children, pregnant women and the elderly with low incomes. Increasing access to all these groups is our first objective.
The second objective of the National Program for Promotion of Oral Health is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of oral diseases in these target groups (children, pregnant women and elderly) to knowledge and behaviors related to oral health are internalized early and progressively made over the life cycle. As regards children, the National Program for the Promotion of Oral Health in force, although now cover 60 000 children and youth, is inappropriate. We will review and restructure by the end of 2008, which is on the ground and assess the medical-dental contracted to children, to ensure equitable provision of oral health care based on simplified procedures and aimed at meeting of health needs, ensuring the best access to services and the gradual expansion to 80 000 children and young people.
Pregnant women represent a population group to warrant the attention of health professionals, as the hormonal changes characteristic of this period increases the frequency of periodontal diseases, which in turn, adversely affect oral hygiene practices and encourage the increased incidence and severity of dental caries. The program aims to cover 65 000 pregnant women.
Finally, with regard to the elderly, the aging process also contributes to a greater occurrence of oral health, including loss of dental pieces, creating a greater need for dental care. The program will cover up to an initial total of 90,000 elderly people with lower incomes (under 360 euros).
The National Program for the Promotion of Oral Health seeks to attain its objectives through contracting. The program builds on the implementation of a set of promotion, prevention and treatment of oral diseases, through simplified contracting these services, the evaluation has shown gains for the health of the population.
For children, the maximum value of services contracts per child treated, the age group of 3 to 16 years of age will be 75 euros. With regard to pregnant women was defined as the maximum contract for consultation and treatment is 120 euros, and three-dental checks.
As for the elderly, the government participates financially in 75% of the acquisition and repair of removable dental prostheses, up to 250 euros for the elderly beneficiaries of the solidarity supplement and are users of the National Health Service for these users are now to be covered charges for medical consultations for the implementation of prostheses and their subsequent refinements. The maximum value of consultations and treatments contracted for the elderly will be 80 euro to two-dentist checks a year.
In Portugal, according to the National Study of Prevalence of Dental Caries schooling in the Population (2000), presents the dental caries in children and youth an index of moderate severity, ie the number of teeth decayed, missing and filled (DMFT ) per child under 12 years of age is 2.95 and the percentage of children free of dental caries at 6 years is 33%. Another study by the World Health Organization (1999) presents the average values of teeth decayed, missing and filled per child of 1.5, with pronounced deviations between groups of different socioeconomic levels.
Although the figures have been steadily improving, these data reinforce the need to maintain the investment in this area, if we want to contribute to reducing inequalities in health. The European strategy and the targets for oral health, the WHO (World Health Organization), pointed out that in the year 2020 at least 80% (and we are only at 51%) of children under 6 years are free of caries, and to 12 years, the number of teeth decayed, missing and filled does not exceed the value of 1.5.
The strategy of the National Oral Health for 2008, with the curative aspects for the treatment of caries, it will be decisive for the resolution of dental problems that affect children and young people, pregnant women and elderly people. The Directorate General of Health, with support from WHO and the Order of Doctors Dentists will continue to study the prevalence of oral diseases to assess the prevalence of dental caries, the dental fluorosis and periodontal disease at 6, 12 and 15 years .
It is important to systematically evaluate the situation in Portugal in terms of behavior, in terms of habits of oral hygiene and nutrition. But not enough. A good program of dental health, in addition to substantially reduce the burden of dental disease to tens of thousands of children, pregnant women and elderly, has another goal whose importance should be highlighted: the reduction of social inequalities in oral health.
That this protocol will be signed today is a good agreement and a basis for future relationship between the Order of Dentists Doctors, dentists and doctors and the Ministry of Health The Government feels delighted to be able to contribute with this simplified protocol, based on trust and unbureaucratic between agents and providers, in order to respond promptly and effectively to citizens' needs and to help ensure the promotion of oral health and prevention of oral diseases through the National Health Service.
We want to be a method of easy access, free membership, with capacity utilization. In competitions for the purpose of the contract may apply for through an electronic form, the stomatologists doctors and dentists registered in their respective professional bodies, to engage in clinical or consulting licensed or have conditions of hygiene and health and safety properly supported for the year activity. The list of member physicians is available on the websites of the Ministry of Health (Health Portal) and the Regional Health Administrations (ARS) to facilitate access and choice for regional users. The bill also follow a simple procedure through the validation of check-dentist, who will be sent by the doctor attached to the ARS, with the necessary information, registered in the system.
The effort we made in fiscal responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the SNS now allows us to launch this program without jeopardizing the quality of healthcare. The National Program for the Promotion of Oral Health for 2008 is an innovative proposal of the SNS, delivering good accounts without jeopardizing the quality of healthcare. We have it in place during the first quarter of next year. Thanks to efficient management and strict, which is essential to the sustainability of the SNS, we will help increase public confidence in the National Health Service (SNS).
The role of the Order of Doctors Dentists credibility is key to the technical guidelines, ethics and professional ethics validation data of users covered by the program. But also improving the oral health of children, pregnant women and the elderly is the disclosure of the program in the community for greater involvement of parents, the local authority and the institutional partners that can support the promotion and prevention of oral health. Thank you already concedesteis support for this initiative, which falls in line with the pre-existing good cooperation.
We are committed to improving, so sustained, the oral health of the Portuguese, maintaining a health system more efficient, fairer, more flexible and targeted to the individual.
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