339. The debacle of oral health in Portugal in the XXI century

Of relevance to bring here two comments that were sent to oral health. The first stems from a medical dentist who works with children and young people in a health center, drawing attention to the fact of being put out of work by the famous check dentist who treats children that hour of the day of that month of that year in that place with that guy even if it takes now officially have to wait two, three or more years to be old to be treated an abscess or a cavity (would want to laugh if it were not true and we were not in Portugal, with a Socialist Party government):

1 - I'm a doctor and dentist working at a health center to serve only children from 3 to 18 years. Am I at risk of being unemployed due to the creation of the famous dentist check that it is more than pulling the wool over the eyes of our people ... a child under 8 years, for example, will have to wait until 10 to treat an abscess? A child under 5 years already with the first molars will have to wait until July for sealants?

The second comment is of someone who also is on the ground and knows what will happen to most children and young people with whom you are dealing with: five, ten or fifteen years (2015, 2020 or in 2025) many of them have lost half ( written well, half) of the teeth because now they have no chance of gaining access to oral health care (I speak of course, oral health care towards the exact term):

2 - Working as a psychologist in a group of schools housed in a housing estate very problematic. I have students there who have the clear perception that when they reach adulthood, they will have half of the teeth, ie the prevention of these youth is gone. Require numerous treatments, but the responsible adults they can not claim pay for consultations.

I say adult, because many have no parents, let alone someone who could be considered early oral health as a priority alongside other. With two or three dental checks, as these students will do the treatments they need? Not to mention the number of youths who are now past 13 years ... There is no form of social support to these people?

Although we are in the XXI Century and Portugal join the European Union, it seems that fate and the course of these children and young people is little different from others who have now reached adulthood (see here).

But there's more ... You know, if you have the unfortunate need for a dental emergency in certain central hospitals (and I mean central hospitals), there is even a medical expert to attend? Come on, imagine a weekend in Vila Real and happens to him the misfortune of having an accident and facial needs urgently to be seen by a dentist or dental hygienist? Well, the best is that it never happens!

And know more? Mr. Prime Minister, Minister of Health, the Minister of Education, Mr Director-General of Health, the honorable Members of the Assembly of the Republic, the President of the Republic and the Order of Dentists are aware of these facts. And what they do to solve them?

We all know that these gentlemen deal with tens of billions of euros and that was enough so little to this problem was not a cancer within our country, just bad faith itself of them all (come to know why the devil do that) deny access to oral health to hundreds of thousands of children and youth of the country, with devastating consequences for the rest of their lives.