529. Free dental screening allows treatment to needy children

Ten children's Shelter of Santa Casa da Misericordia of Caldas da Rainha done in the past day six dental screening. Of these ten children six were flagged for having serious health problems oral and will be followed by a dentist in town, who will perform the treatment for free and voluntary.

The screening was performed by two dentists - Luís Felipe and Fernando Augusto Podesta, the association of Turma do Bem, who moved to the Junta de Freguesia de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo to promote this activity. Typically this screening is done in schools or institutions but here in Caldas da Rainha unable to open any school, Fernando Augusto said. He added that, due to limited disclosure, not entered any young to be screened at the Board during the day but then got permission to change the screening facilities for the Welcome Center, Santa Casa da Misericordia of Caldas da Rainha and eventually the initiative be positive.

The Turma do Bem, an association that has existed for many years in Brazil, helping children and youth to recover the smile, and arrived in Portugal in 2009, having already won the sympathy of many dentists who joined the project. Their existence in this country is made possible through a partnership with the Fundação EDP, and the project has already helped more than 100 teenagers from 11 to 18 years, need, raising to its network of Dentistas do Bem about 140 volunteer professionals.

Young people who are most in need screening and dental problems present with severe symptoms of infection, pain or tenderness are then forwarded to a volunteer dentist who does all the free treatment and is responsible for monitoring the recipient until he turns 18. Regarding the dentists of Caldas da Rainha, the project was well accepted for its network raising five professional volunteers who created the city ten vacancies. Escalated six young, so we still have four vacancies to fill, pointed this charge.

According to Fernando Augusto, like Brazil, Portugal also has problems with oral diseases such as caries, gingivitis and orthodontic problems. Approximately 60% of young people up to 14 years and have never been to the dentist with only 15, a young person has committed 70% of the teeth and dental problems presents with severe symptoms of infection, pain or tenderness, released the dentist. 

Combining free treatment to education and information about oral hygiene, the aim is also, according to the dentist, help to increase the self-esteem of these young people and their employability, since poor oral health is a factor of exclusion.

Portugal was the first European country to host the project conceived and founded by Brazilian Fábio Bibancos dentist, as co-producer with the Fundação EDP. Currently there are over 8,000 of Dentistas do Bem in Brazil, Portugal and 9 Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico). Only in 2010 these volunteers responded in their own clinics more than 16 000 young people worldwide.

Marlene Sousa 

Jornal das Caldas

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Unfortunately the good initiatives in Portugal have to come from abroad; praises the project's Turma do Bem. But it is extremely shameful that EDP for Portugal, with revenues of tens of billions of euros each year, contributing to treat only 100 children if this is the social mission of EDP, then we conversed.

MESSAGE PLACED IN THE COMMENTS: It is not true that good initiatives have to come from outside! In Portugal there is good supportive projects such as Projecto Dentes Saudáveis do Dr. Risadas da Associação Entreajuda, has also the many projects of the NGO Portuguese Mundo a Sorrir, the draft of the Legião da Boa Vontade and many other smaller, but very well done.
What is needed is to know the reason of EDP support and travel costs to import projects from the outside, when in Portugal should be supported many good practices!