Children of the South of Spain have more tooth decay and oral health worse than in the North.

the Madrid College of dentists (COEM) and the CÓEM Foundation organized the Conference on Oral health and inequality.

-This is one of the topics discussed at the Conference, which has been the study and analysis of equity in health, insight into oral health ”, which analyses the world and Spanish situation and possible solutions to respond to the current needs

– according to Dr. Juan Carlos Llodra in disadvantaged countries needed a more proactive approach. If not, will arrive to verify that prevention is offering those who haves and treatment of low quality that less ”

-20% of the world’s population earn 70% of oral pathology

Madrid, March of 2013- last weekend was held in Madrid the 4th edition of the Symposium on social dentistry from the school of Odontologylogos of Madrid (COEM) and the Fundación CÓEM, directed this year to Oral health and inequality ”. In this meeting has been presented the study and analysis of equity in health, insight into oral health ”, a guide to collecting the world situation and the Spanish and the possible solutions to respond to current needs.

For Dr. Silvana Escuder Álvarez, responsible for the Commission of Social commitment of the CÓEM, this Conference aims to raise awareness among the population and the profession about the need to include oral health in the general concept of health and involve all actors – professionals, Governments, industry, universities and general population – as the only way to combat inequality in oral health ”.

The Conference is organized by the Madrid Association of dentists, through its Commission for Social engagement, and the newly created CÓEM Foundation, with the collaboration of the Spanish society of epidemiology and public Oral Health (SESPO), and have counted with the presence of Antonio Alemany Lópezdirector General of primary care for the Madrid health service.

inequality in oral health in Spain

oral health disparities exist in Spain. There between regions, with different socio-economic development, and between population groups by their membership in a social level or other. In addition, differences by socio-economic level for the whole of Spain, seem to have been heightened in the last decade.

Epidemiological indicators indicate significant differences between regions and between social groups. If we take the prevalence of caries, as measured by the CAOD index – that measures the average careados, absent by decay and filled teeth – children and young people, the communities which have a prevalence clearly below the national average are, in general, communities in the North (Catalonia, Basque country, Navarre) while that communities in the South (Andalusia have one rate greater than the average are(, Canary Islands, Extremadura). The more pronounced difference is found between Basque country, with a prevalence to 12 age of 26.2% and 0.52 CAOD and Canary rate with a prevalence of 51.9% and an average of 1.51, a difference that represents, in relative terms, twice the involvement by disease.

The socioeconomic level (NSE) also affects the distribution of dental caries in Spain. The national survey of 2010 shows that the differential between the extreme levels of the social scale is 22.1 points, increased prevalence as we go down the social ladder i. This fact is noted in all studies in our country both nationally and regionally. And, despite the moderado-bajo level of tooth decay, the bad news is that this differential has increased in recent years since the 12.3 points differential of the survey in the year 2000, to the current 22.1.

For Dr. f. Javier Cortés Martinicorena, Doctor in medicine and surgery, author of numerous surveys of oral health and one of the authors of the study, in Spain, it is necessary to integrate oral health into the national health system, and develop guidelines policies and strategic in this field, as well as take into account the social differencescultural and economic society itself contains, since the mere offer of a public health service does not guarantee the achievement of the objectives of equity and improve health ”.

Of the dentistry technology ” to a preventive and interceptive focus on disadvantaged countries

There are major inequalities in oral health, attention and resources in the world. 20% Of the world’s population earn 70% of the oral pathology and, resources, health personnel, nor health policies conform to this reality. This situation dentistry as science has two options to focus on the problems of oral health in the poorest countries: offer the same mechanistic dentistry but lowering levels obviously technological are unviable for the economies of those countries or sectors, or make an approach radically different, more focused on prevention of processes to its healing.

from left to right: Ramón Soto-Yarritu, President COEM, Antonio Alemany López, Director-General of primary attention of the Madrid service of health and Silvana Escuder, responsible for the Commission’s commitment to Social of COEM.

unfortunately, up to the present, the majority approach consisted in a poorly understood mimicry of the bad call dentistry technology ”, although in some countries with limited economy, is moving forward towards an approach more preventive and interceptive, investing more in avoiding the pathology than in curing it. Do not thrive in this line, will reach the absurd to note that prevention is offering those who haves and low quality treatment to those who have less ”, says Dr. Juan Carlos Llodra Calvo, Chairman of the Working Group of Oral Health (FDI) and one of the authors of the study. There is an urgent need to prioritize the prevention and early detection as a way to improve oral health, at lower cost and with more impact on the most disadvantaged societies ”, adds this specialist.

The Foundation CÓEM (FCOEM)

The CÓEM Foundation, established by the Governing Council of the CÓEM, aims to improve health dental of all the inhabitants of the community of Madrid. This has a strategy long based on four fundamental pillars: education oral for the general population, achieving an optimum level scientific and healthcare professionals, provide information and assistance to the most disadvantaged and promote research.

COEM Foundation works in close collaboration with the Commission of Social commitment to COEM on many projects and is also a space for meeting and participation of all sectors of the dental profession, necessarily involved and stewards of the oral health.

About the CÓEM

The College of dentists and stomatologists of the 1st Region ( COEM ), founded in 1930, is a public law corporation with legally own and full capacity for the fulfilment of its purposes, which is governed by the law of professional associations and their own statutes. The territorial scope of the College includes the community of Madrid and the provinces of Ávila, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Toledo. Since 1981 it has its headquarters in number 32 of Vitruvio Street, in Madrid. Currently has about 8,000 members.

referencia:

i Llodra Calvo JC. Survey on Oral health in Spain 2010. RCOE 2012; 17 (1): 13-41.