345. The oral health proposed by the parties represented in parliament

Note: I await responses from the PS, PSD, PCP, BE and PEV

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The European strategy and the goals set by the World Health Organization (WHO) oral health suggest that by 2020 at least 80% of children under 6 years of age are free of caries, and at 12 years, the DMFT does not exceed the value of 1.5.

Portugal has a National Oral Health Promotion, established in 2005, while reading the program, citizens are also aware that the public sector is responsible for the promotion of health, prevention of oral diseases and provide dental care eligible to be held in the National Health Service (SNS in portuguese). The truth is that health care medical-dental are neither more or less satisfied by the SNS.

There are currently six thousand dentists in Portugal, entered the Order of Dentists, number more than sufficient to meet national needs. In this regard, Chairman of the Dental Association said a few months ago, that the Order may be required to limit access to the profession. One reason for the excess of dentists due to the number of faculty and students enrolled, which is very large thus hampering the full flow of these professionals in the Portuguese labor market. It is noted that every year, leaving the job market for six hundred new graduates and about two hundred forty-seven Portuguese dentists are working outside of Portugal.

However, despite the apparently high number of dentists in our country, the oral health care in the SNS is practically nonexistent! From what we know, there are only forty-three units of dentistry across the country, these units only treat inpatients and serious.

Initiatives of the CDS:

1. To try to confirm the number of dental units in June 2008, the CDS-PP sent a written question to the Minister of Health, questioning how dental services / dental exist in Hospitals SNS: how many and what are the Centres Health and Family Health Units that have oral health care, and how many dentists and dentists performing functions in the SNS, broken down by Hospitals, Health Centres and Family Health Units. The CDS-PP has already remanded this question two more times - the last on 9 April - and, until today, the Minister never answered, as is their regimental duty.

We can thus conclude that despite international recommendations and despite the existence of a National Programme, the measures of this Government to ensure the oral health care to citizens became only the distribution of vouchers dentist, presented the State Budget 2008 and for children, pregnant women and elderly.

2. The CDS-PP has presented several times, a legislative initiative calling for the inclusion of dentists in the careers of Technicians of Health, which was rejected by the Socialist majority.

3. Professionals also argue that all liberals - medical and oral health technologies included, naturally - practicing voluntary action, giving their time free to treat the health of the disadvantaged, may deduct, in paying their taxes to the state, the hours devote to volunteering.

The CDS-PP considers that many steps must be taken regarding oral health. Measures that translate into the following questions: where is the intervention for the prevention of dental caries, which should be undertaken in schools? Has been or is being done? In which schools? How many children and adolescents cover? How many people can use the SNS for oral health care, with guarantees of attendance? In what parts of the country? Number of training sessions were made with families Portuguese? How many campaigns and sensitization were carried out at national level? The Ministry of Health makes the evaluation of services provided by contracted dentists? How is this assessment? Portugal will be able to achieve the goals set in 2020 by WHO?

Unfortunately, these questions remain unanswered. Worse, these and many more matters relating to oral health continue without action by this Government. Remain forgotten.

Portugal, a European Union country in the XXI century proud to distribute computers in schools, prides itself on in times of crisis, when investing in megalomaniac projects like a new airport or the high speed train, but can not proud to provide its citizens with some of the most basic healthcare and basic as are oral health care.

It is in cases like this we believe that Portugal must look humbly to a Lusophone country, Brazil, whose oral health is the most advanced in the world. This country made a political decision for decades to bet heavily on dental health, as a factor in public health law. Began awareness campaigns throughout the country (the size incomparably larger than Portugal) to instill in people an idea: a smile with healthy teeth is critical. In schools, children and young people are followed from early to a constant preoccupation with hygiene and oral health, in hospitals, all are monitored to no longer care for their teeth.

Therefore, Portugal will take on oral health as a priority, including:

- Creating effective campaigns among the population (mainly young);

- Dignity of the profession;

- Creating greater career or contracting with the state dentists.