The extension of the dentist pass initially to teenagers and gradually to older ages as well as its consolidation and the provision by EOPYY of a fixed fund for dental coverage, the Thessaloniki Dental Association (OSTH) requests, pointing out that today the Greek insured has a complete lack of dental care.

“In addition to the contacts we had with levels of the government in order to convey all the important messages regarding oral health, but above all the negative priority of the complete lack of dental care for the Greek citizen, today we want to emphasize and ask the State to see the subject more warmly by repeating the dentist pass. A good start that was made for children aged 6-12 years, on the one hand to be repeated every year, on the other hand to be extended to older ages including teenagers for a start and slowly all Greeks. The dentist pass is covered by money from the Recovery Fund. This should be included in the annual budget and of course it should have an annual regular recurring application in order to achieve the right result. Because the result will be to change the perception of young children – but also adults at the same time – regarding dental care and in the long term prevention will also bring a reduction in treatment costs” pointed out the president of OSTH, Konstantinos Kougias, during a press conference, which was given in the context of today’s World Oral Health Day.

At the same time, Mr. Kougias noted that the reason that the Greek insured does not currently have the dental care and care that he deserves and should have, is that the State has limited dental care structures which are understaffed and with insufficient equipment.

“Dentistry is a science that fortunately is developing very dynamically but unfortunately the equipment costs too much and modernization cannot keep up with the possibilities given by the State in order to equip the State primarily and private individuals secondly. And with regard to the staff, it is enough to point out that in the latest announcements for the recruitment of health personnel, not a single recruitment of a dentist is includedadded Mr. Kugias.

Dimitrios Palaskas, a member of the Board of the OSTH, for his part, noted that the structures that are understaffed only cover dental emergencies (a dental emergency is defined as pain), while then citizens should go to a private person and pay if they can afford it.

He also pointed out that there should be dental care for citizens who are bedridden or in nursing homes, refugee facilities or prisons.

The treasurer of OSTH Vasso Michailidou pointed out that the total lack of teeth constitutes a disability and added that OSTH continues to demand from EOPYY a fixed expenditure for dental care.

On the occasion of World Oral Health Day, whose message this year is “a happy mouth is a happy body”, the OSTH organizes a series of actions in the context of which the White Tower will be illuminated in blue and red colors today. The actions include free dental examinations and diagnoses by OSTH members for a period of two weeks by appointment, operation of an information booth in Aristotelous on 23/3 and informational visits to schools. It should be noted that the Hellenic Dental Federation has extended the actions for physical health throughout 2024, which has been reduced to the Year of Oral Health with the message “Hello to your mouth”.