Order of Dentists defends dental check

The proposal from the Order of Dentists was heard by the government and covers children from 2 years old(link proposal).

“Extend dental check coverage to all children between 2 and 6 years of age, in order to allow for the observation and early detection of oral health problems”.

This is how the oral health of young people is included in theProgram XXII of the Constitutional Government 2019-2023.

In a statement, the Order of Dentists (OMD) states that it is proud of this measure and hopes that all children are covered, regardless of the type of establishment they attend.

Orlando Monteiro da Silva, president of the OMD, believes that “early contact with the dentist will make it possible to more effectively monitor children as they grow and detect tooth decay earlier.”

This is a step that has been defended by the order over the last few months, which even sent an open letter to the parties running for the recent legislative elections with an integrated response in terms of public health at a preventive level.

But this is just the first step on the long road to “profoundly reformulate the entire program” of the dental check. According to OMD data, many children receive their checks late, almost at the end of the school year, “compromising the ability of families to look for a dentist within the imposed validity”.

Therefore, they also propose that the value of €40 be replaced and justify: “it was already a relatively symbolic value in view of the interventions that dentists often have to carry out, not only for children but also for pregnant women or elderly people with the solidarity supplement”.

According to government sources, these are just some of the ongoing measures for a fairer and more inclusive National Health Service that better responds to the needs of the population. To this end, a policy of continuity will be adopted, differentiating primary health care, “improving its resoluteness”, namely “generalizing” oral health care. The Government establishes as a priority “expanding the coverage of dentistry in the NHS, particularly through health centers and in collaboration with municipalities”. The goal is to reduce the costs that the Portuguese bear in the health sector.

The Order's proposal was heard by party leaders and will be subject to approval this week, in the Assembly of the Republic.

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