481. Father of the National Health Service asks another oral medicine for Portugal

The socialist and founder of the National Health Service (SNS) Antonio Arnaut would like the share of the State Budget for 2011 to increase and focus on health care facilities and in oral medicine. A month and a half for the Government to present the Budget for 2011, Antonio Arnaut aspire to Lusa news agency says that the budget for health (about 1 / 6 of the state budget, not reaching nine billion euros) is increased, but not only to improve the NHS.

He has to be improved, but can be improved regardless of the money because there are services that can spend less and work better advocates. For the social background, the increase should focus on enhancing the network of continuing care and palliative care, which is now spread across the country, and the creation of another oral medicine, which is virtually nonexistent.

There are already checks dentists for pregnant women, children and elderly, but it should be moving towards the creation of a valence of oral health, which is very important, not just to have beautiful teeth and functional, but to prevent other diseases, he says.

On the other hand, observes the former Minister of Social Affairs, at the time of crisis we live, the social sector must be strengthened to compensate for the inequalities that now aggravated by unemployment and other precarious situations.

Diário Digital

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These wise words illustrate the current bleak picture of oral health in Portugal, the responsibility of governments past and with the full connivance of the Directorate - General for Health and, in parallel, installed in groups with interests in the sector.

The drastic difference in which we live today in access to dentistry between the wealthy bourgeoisie and the illustrious rulers of the state apparatus of the regime, against overwhelming majority of the population voted to contempt and without rights, reminds us that Portugal is closer to of poor and underdeveloped countries than their European Union partners in terms of oral health.

480. Portugal is at least newer than in most OECD

Report puts Portugal among the least developed countries to invest in children under five years. And generally, those under 18 have a quality of life below the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) average, due to factors such as poverty and low levels of education.

Portugal is one of the OECD countries that less public investment channel for children up to five years. The data contained in a report - Childhood Decides - released by this organization, which concludes that, in general, the quality of life of children in our country is far below the average for the developed world.

With regard to indicators of public investment for each person under 18 years, Portugal is a group of countries that invest between 60 and 70 thousand euros per year. Values ​​that are the lowest, will not be particularly negative in view of the per capita income.

Problems arise when analyzing the proportion of this investment that is channeled to the fringe of zero to five years. Precisely that age when, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, may be the most decisive investment for the future of these children. Especially when concerning poverty.

In this chapter - in which no country has a performance that is acceptable to the OECD - Portugal is among the least invest: of public funds for the children, just over 20% lower reaches six years.

The data, assumed as the OECD, are based at the crossroads of a wide range of indicators, not all recent. Measurements of the current government - reinforcements as the School Social and pledge for new gardens-care - are not yet reflected in accounting. But also aspects such as the values ​​of family allowances and tax incentives to families in which the portuguese advances have been timid in comparison.

Moreover, when the Portuguese under 18 are seen in the light of a broader framework - which the OECD defines as well-being or quality of life for children - the conclusions are still worrying.

A total of six items compared, relating to three major areas - Living Standards, Education and Protection - the situation of Portuguese children is only clearly positive at the level of risk behaviors. Low rates of alcohol and tobacco among children contribute to a sixth place among 30 countries.

But in all other categories, Portugal is below half of the table. In the material well-being is twenty-fifth, at the level of wellness education, twenty sixth, and in terms of quality of life in school appears in twenty first.

The performances are proof of these low rates as 16.6% of children living in poor households. A value that, even taking into account the estimated average income of each country, only allows to overcome Spain to Portugal, the United States, Poland, Mexico and Turkey. The chronically poor performance of Portuguese students in international comparisons are another negative contribution.

Different indicators give an account yet full of anachronisms Portugal, where 85% of children grow up with both parents but a third live in housing below the desired level, where there is little deaths at birth but many - particularly boys - in adolescence.

DN Portugal

479. New treatment promises to eliminate decay without the use of drills

A new procedure called Kariesinfiltration, the DMG company, promises to treat tooth decay without the use of drills. But it can only be used in some cases, explains the director of DMG, Susanne Stegen. The procedure is effective in fighting tooth decay at an early stage, one that is in the tooth enamel and moved no later than the first third of dentin. All that is requires deeper, unfortunately, the drill.
Usually the dentist has two treatment options: the first one he makes use of fluoride in the tooth in question and calls the patient to have a better oral hygiene. Then you wait to see if the glitch does not become a real hole.

Or he just uses the drill to remove decay at their early stages. In this case, however, healthy parts of the tooth are removed, the dentist explains Ulrich Schiffner, University Clinic of Eppendorf. In this case the problem is that, in holes that affect only the tooth enamel or a little more, you must first remove one part of the tooth in order to get to where the cavity.

Now, the new method offers the ability to fill a small hole without resorting to the drill and prevent the spread of decay to the deeper regions of the tooth. First the mineral layer on the defective area is eliminated with the use of a gel, then the new plastic material, called Icon, is still applied in liquid form. This plastic substance penetrates the enamel matrix, due to capillarity, and it is then, like any other plastic filler, hardened with light.

The procedure is designed especially for cavities located in the region between the teeth, but also for minor defects in smooth surface, such as in patients using the device.

Throughout Germany there are approximately six thousand professionals already applying the method Kariesinfiltration. The treatment lasts approximately 20 minutes and costs between 80 and 100 euros. The value is not covered by insurance in the country.

Early clinical trials with the Icon are not conclusive and are based, according to Schiffner, a period of 18 months. These studies show that approximately 75% of the treated tooth surface, cavities were eliminated.

DW-WORLD.DE, Deutsche Welle

478. Young autistic been waiting over a year for a surgery (II)

477. Young autistic been waiting over a year for a surgery (I)

Duarte appeared to be a normal boy, but at 2 years old was diagnosed with autism. The boy is now 13 years and is more than one waiting to be operated at the Hospital of Ponta Delgada. However, the clinical picture of Duarte gets worse every day.

The teenager can no longer chew food by having almost all decayed teeth and can not go to a conventional dentist. The hospital claims that the couple is on a waiting list, but the desperation of the family begins to increase. The patient's mother states that already have to grind all the food you eat the young, and has no family doctor, a factor that has delayed the process further.

In desperation, the mother delivered a letter from a pediatrician to request the operation. She has written, including a letter to the director of the clinic to explain the whole situation. Jump to a private out of the question because Fernanda Tomé can not sustain the costs. For one, the expected date of operation is the last week of September.

RTP Açores

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The Minister of Health, Mr Director - General for Health and Dental Association: see here the effects of the ridiculous policy of oral health who play for our country. This is an example of flagrant violation of human rights in Portugal when a child needs medical attention.

A case that deserves to be condemned internationally.