Pediatric oral health care programs in hospitals in Venezuela

Abstract

Introduction: Caries prevalence in people under 19 years of age can reach 86%, coupled with reports of poor oral hygiene and failures in public health policies. Including preventive pediatric dentistry treatments at hospitals could improve oral health conditions. Objective: To describe pediatric oral health care programs implemented in Venezuelan hospitals. Materials and methods: An electronic research was carried out regarding dental prevention programs in hospitals aimed at children, with an interdisciplinary approach and the promotion of parents' and caregivers’ participation. Furthermore, three pediatric dentists from Venezuelan hospitals were interviewed and three programs that met inclusion criteria were compared. Results: The target population of the three programs were children, parents and representatives and healthcare workers. The focus was mainly on the distribution of information on pediatric oral health. Only one program included curative dental care. The three hospital programs proposed to work with the community and with dental students to achieve a greater preventive reach. They suggest the inclusion of health professionals, even in the application of preventive dental treatments. None of the three programs considered population-scale preventive measures. Conclusion: There are few specific programs for the prevention of oral diseases implemented in Venezuelan public hospitals. These mainly include prevention aimed at the community and include different health professionals and dental students. To achieve efficient primary prevention, it is necessary to implement interdisciplinary educational programs.