The study about Spanish population oral health in the last fifteen years shows a general improvement. However, the surveys made by the University of Granada group Microbiology, immunology, epidemiology and oral diseases prevention reveal an increase in gingival problems (gum inflammation) because of the lack of dental hygiene. Decay high-risk groups not only have not improved, but to the contrary have increased. According to Professor Juan Carlos Llodra, a research team member, it means about 15-20% of the population. These population groups show an accumulation of dental pathologies (diseases) and have in common a series of variables -low economic resources, broken homes, social alienation and, to a greater extent now, immigrants- that make it difficult for them to access to a dental-medical assistance.
This situation is common to the Andalusian Autonomous Region, where the research team is also in charge of the surveys about population´s dental health status, especially in the school population. The resuls of the epidemiological study also point out that the presence of decay in schoolchildren was reduced by half, but the conditions of dental hygiene do not improve. In the same way, the new Children´s Dental Care Program implemented in Andalusia three years ago, following the recommendations of the last study, according to Professor Juan Carlos Llodra, has exposed a lot of fields of oral care, especially on a rural basis; therefore, there are not equal basis in the distribution of resources. Although it is true that Andalusia – Llodra points out – is one of the few autonomous regions, together with Navarre, Basque Country and Murcia, which offers public oral care to school population.
With regard to the so-called social ingredient in connection to oral health in Andalusian children, Professor Llodra points out that it is deplorable that children from economically disadvantaged families are in worse conditions of oral health. They are in need of a tratment which is going to be more costly for them, because they will need more assistance, just in a family core where the economic jeans are inviable in a private care framework. These problems are worsening with the presence of children from other countries who, besides a critical dental health status, they have the problem of social integration, language and feeding. All in all, a social problem of some children who must have the right to the same medical attention than the rest of Andalusians citizens.
Surveys, which are one of the main research method used by this team, are made under the supervision of the World Health Organization (WHO), which provides a specific and exhaustive methodology and gives professional advice for the carrying out and the analysis of the results. These results do not only offer information concerning the general state of population´s oral health but also allow to detect the priorities of the population and to guide the politicians.
One of the next projects of the team is to make the national surveys about oral health next year and the survey of the Andalusian Autonomous Region in 2006. Currently they are analysing the situation in Castile La Mancha and they are waiting to give professional advice to the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands and the Health Department of the Extremaduran Council. Similarly, the research team collaborates with the WHO, the Spanish Health Research Fund, the Spanish Public Oral Health Society or the Spanish General Board of Dentists.
Further information:
Prof. Juan Carlos Llodra Calvo. Department of Stomatology.
Phone numbers: 958 24 06 58 / 958 24 38 06.
E-mail: jllodra@hotmail.com
