The introduction of the National Study of Prevalence
of Oral Diseases 2008
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In the introduction to the National Study of Prevalence of Oral Diseases 2008 is referred to "significant reduction in dental caries in Portugal, especially in children and youth." This is directly related to the socio-economic development of Portuguese society, particularly with the changing age structures, the extension of the purchasing power of middle class, the educated population growth and the expansion of health care throughout the country.
However, the study acknowledges that currently "dental caries is highly prevalent and is also a public health problem, with a clear distribution asymmetric" stressing that "changes in behavior require integrated action for health promotion and prevention chronic diseases, among which include oral diseases." It is still curious that analysis, which points to the need for integrated actions in the country, something that unfortunately very little has been done in our country over the past thirty years.
Describes the introduction of the document since 1986 came promotion programs of oral diseases for children and youth, especially in kindergartens and schools, and unfortunately the reality of the past twenty years has shown that these programs were almost always located and covered a small part of childhood and youth, disregarding the overwhelming majority of the needy. Even today you can wait three years for the first consultation in some public health units that offer the valence of stomatology. Therefore, the contribution of these programs under the guidance of the Directorate General of Health or rare little impact resulted in the hard realities on the ground.
But the good wills of the campaigns developed over the past twenty years by the central government services have been primarily guided by the guidelines merely theoretical practices that often never reach the target audience.
When reading the introduction of the study, many questions arise. What percentage of children and young people who were at the national level and between 1987 and 2005, together with the notes of fluoride and the achievement of a rinsing solution of sodium fluoride, carried out fortnightly in school? 5%? 25%? 90%?
What was the number of children at 7 to 13 years, had the application of fissure sealants in permanent molar teeth in the period between 1987 and 2005? What is the evolution of the number of oral hygienists that have been integrated into the National Health Service and the number of children assigned to application of fissure sealants in permanent teeth?
It is easy for the Ministries of Education and Health to publish the numbers, then just divide the universe of the population of those ages and gets to know the true impact of the programs that were developed under the supervision of the Directorate General of Health.
Since 1999 was followed a strategy of contracting dentists and dentists from the private sector for "the treatment of dental caries prevention could not avoid the application of fissure sealants in those same groups, when the Health Center does not had oral hygienists", children 6 to 16 years. What the professionals who adhere to such programs, which provide that service and how a child or young person can be served? It's been 9 years since the beginning of this strategy and is becoming more important to bring this information to all schools in the country and pass the information to those who really need.
Just putting the programs available to the needy is that we can actually win the battle of promoting oral health in our country, hang or hide information shoots to the ground every good intention that you wish. Use it to public television to all this information that often never reach our students, the good will is in the hands of the Directorate-General for Health and the Ministry of Education. Or will we continue as more stone for twenty years?
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