In the Republic of Moldova, the dental assistance is provided to children at an insufficient level. The morbidity of oral diseases is high, the costs of dental treatment are very high, the preventive measures are implemented at an insufficient level, the dental equipment is worn-out, while the training of medical personnel does not meet the requirements for providing dental assistance to children, said doctor habilitate of medical sciences Aurelia Spinei, professor of “Nicolae Testemiţanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Contacted by IPN for details, Aurelia Spinei said the dental equipment used to treat children in the public sector is old and outdated and its modernization necessitates the allocation of large sums. At the same time, of the total number of dentists or oral surgeons working in the public sector, approximately 50% offer dental assistance to adults and children, while 12.87% have special training and qualifications needed for providing dental assistance to children.
Aurelia Spinei said the oral health conditions affect the quality of children’s life primarily by effects on the consumption of food, oral hygiene, emotional stability and the aesthetic function. “The prevalence of the impact of oral diseases on the quality of children’s life is higher than 50%. Among the main factors that have an impact on the quality of children’s life are: dental pain (62.19%) and lack of permanent teeth due to their early extraction because of caries and related complications (21.83%),” noted the expert.
According to her, the children’s access to dental assistance in a large number of rural localities is limited due to the shortage of specialists and dental offices. The socially deprived categories do not have access to dental treatment owing to the incapacity to pay for transport (to dental clinics) or the cost of treatment that is not insured by the state. Also, these categories of people are not motivated to maintain and improve oral health.
Aurelia Spinei said the Association of Stomatologists of the Republic of Moldova (led by Oleg Solomon, professor of “Nicolae Testemiţanu” University), in partnership with staff of the “Ion Lupan” Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pediatric and Pediatric Dentistry Chair, students and residents of the Faculty of Dentistry of “Nicolae Testemițanu” University, dentists of the Municipal Children’s Dental Center, annually stage different informational and educational activities intended for children, parents and teachers of schools, kindergartens and the whole population throughout the year.
Aurelia Spinei noted that owing to the epidemiological situation, drastic measures had to be taken at different stage, such as limitation of dental assistance for emergency cases, suspension of the training process, self-isolation at home and remote teaching and learning. “These prevention measures were taken with the aim of protecting our health and of stopping the spread of COVID-19. This year, the Association of Stomatologists of the Republic of Moldova, together with students and residents of the Faculty of Dentistry of “Nicolae Testemiţanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, have organized a series of online meetings with students of national schools to provide them with information about oral hygiene,” she stated.
