URE Health Sector: The reform of dental health care led to the complete degradation of children's dentistry

The reform of dental health care, which was made in 2008 with the aim of improving it, led, according to Dr. Spec. preventive and children's dentistry by Danijela Subotić, member of the Health Sector team of the Citizens' Movement URA, until the complete degradation of children's dentistry, and preventive dentistry was destroyed. "There have been no systematic dental examinations for 12 years, so today we do not have any data on caries incidence in children in Montenegro".

This is why, as she explained, it is impossible to work on improving dental health care as a segment of public health, because no preventive program can be done without that data.

"Montenegro, in the process of joining the EU, must work on improving public health, through Chapter 28, of which dental health care is an inseparable part."

According to the coordinator of that sector, Igor Ljutica, the URE health sector has already started implementing the agreed plan and program and health promotion. "Our goal is to help and support the newly elected Ministry of Health, the entire health system, as well as all the citizens of Montenegro, both with advice and with volunteer work. To begin with, we will highlight the suggestions and advice of fellow dentists in our sector," said Ljutica.

Danijela Subotić notes that the Health Sector of URE has several goals aimed at improving the field of public health. "One of them is the creation and implementation of a national program for the prevention and preservation of children's oral health. The reform of dental health care must be based on the promotion of oral health and prevention as the most economical and most important factor of dental health care. In long-term plans, as part of the prevention and preservation of children's oral health project, conditions should be created for the return of school dentists. School dental care has proven to be the best form of preserving children's oral health".

As he explains, this would create conditions for the employment of young staff and education through specializations in pediatric and preventive dentistry. "Only child specialists should work with children".

Dentists from the URE Health Sector appealed to citizens to adhere to all preventive measures to preserve health. "Special attention should be paid to oral health, as part of general health. This includes a proper and healthy diet, with the consumption of plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is very important for maintaining the health of the gums, and when the immunity drops, the first symptom is inflammation of the gums, as well as the entire oral cavity with the appearance of canker sores or herpes. Special attention must be paid to the health of the teeth, because a drop in immunity can lead to the acute activation of all chronic processes if they exist on the teeth", concludes the Health Sector of the URE.