623. Aracatuba (Brazil): 70% of babies arrive to nine years without decay

Of every ten babies served by Unesp (State University of São Paulo) Araçatuba seven arrive at nine years without decay. The average is calculated by means of the work done in the Bebê Clinic, FOA program (Faculty of Dentistry Aracatuba) since its founding in 1996. During this period were made 16,000 calls. The result is due, according to the coordinator of the clinic, Robson Cunha, the guidance given by professionals working in service with the parents of the babies met.

Parents are encouraged to take care of the oral health of children and with this, they also learn to be healthy, said Cunha, remembering that it is difficult to detect cavities in babies followed in the clinic. When appears, they are white specks. The baby has to have up to six months of life to be enrolled in the program. Parents should also participate in an educational lecture on the subject. From there, there is a follow-up at the clinic every three months where the gum and the child's teeth are examined by the Dental course students.

We make an oral structural assessment, fluoride application, cleaning with gauze, brushing, flossing, lists the coordinator. During consultations, parents receive guidance to avoid giving soda, which contains a lot of sugar, for example. I take my daughter in Bebê Clinic since two months. Today she has a year and a month and the teeth are healthy because we are educated to take care of the little mouth of our children, he told the negotiator Renata Ribeiro dos Santos, 30, mother of Izadora.

Folha da Região

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This article portrays the result of the work done by the State University of São Paulo (Brazil) and demonstrates that it is possible to control and eradicate child dental caries.

Unfortunately it is an example that does not exist in Portugal. On the contrary, the state prefers to spend continuously tens of millions of euros every year on treatments in older children's age groups, using private institutions instead of using the resources of the National Health Service (SNS), bleaching any prevention work which should begin as early as six months of life of children and that it is not the responsibility of the private sector.

Portugal portrays a bad example to the world in the provision of oral health care, why bet on age ages already too advanced and waste of human resources and existing equipment in the public sector.