Basic oral health goals for Spain 2015/2020.

AIM/OBJECTIVE: To define the basic oral health goals for Spain 2015 (children)/2020 (adults). METHODS: The Spanish Society of Epidemiology and Oral Public Health commissioned a six-member Expert Panel, which worked over the period 2006-2007 and reached consensus according to the EuropeAid Evaluation Guidelines. The Panel's work included three meetings and a presentation at the Society's annual conference in 2007. Since each autonomous region/city in Spain has control over its health policy, only basic goals for the country as a whole were defined. The variables used to set goals were caries history and gingival health according to the World Health Organisation criteria, and tooth brushing frequency and health perception according to the European Global Oral Health Indicators Development Project. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 16 targets were defined, 8 for children and 8 for adults. For example, the number of permanent decayed, missing and filled teeth should be < 1.0 at 12 years of age by 2015, or the percentage of edentulous persons should be < 15% at 65-74-years by 2020. In order to achieve the proposed goals, the Expert Panel recommends involving all health system personnel in the maintenance and/or development of new oral health programmes and strategies.

Salud bucodental. Evaluación de los objetivos del Plan de Salud de Cataluña para el año 2000 / Oral health. Evaluation of the objectives of the Health Plan for Catalonia for the year 2000

Fundamento y objetivo: En la década de los años ochenta la caries dental era uno de los problemas de salud más prevalentes entre la población escolar de Cataluña. Por ello, en el ámbito de la salud bucodental, la caries se identificó como un problema de salud prioritario para su abordaje en el Documento marco para la elaboración del Plan de Salud, debido a su elevada prevalencia, a los altos costes de su tratamiento y rehabilitación, así como por la existencia de intervenciones preventivas de probada efectividad. En consecuencia, se propusieron tres objetivos de salud para el año 2000, cuya evaluación constituye el propósito de este trabajo. Población y método: Se han utilizado los datos de distribución y evolución de la prevalencia de caries dental recogidos mediante las encuestas del Departament de Sanitat i Seguretat Social en los años 1983, 1991 y 1997, desarrolladas de acuerdo con la metodología propuesta por la OMS. Resultados: Se observa una tendencia continuada de aumento del porcentaje de escolares libres de caries. Así, en 1997 se llegó hasta el 53,4% de escolares de 12 años sin caries y el 70,2% de escolares de 6 años también libres de caries. Respecto al índice CAOD en los escolares de 12 años, ha pasado de un valor de 2,98 en 1983 a 0,9 en 1997. Conclusiones: Se pudo evaluar la evolución de los indicadores correspondientes a los tres objetivos de salud formulados. De éstos, dos se han alcanzado plenamente y el tercero, relativo a la prevalencia de caries entre los escolares de 6 años, aunque no se ha conseguido plenamente, indica una tendencia claramente positiva (AU)

Background an objective: In the eighties, dental caries was one of the most prevalent health problems among school population in Catalonia. Dental caries was considered a health priority due to its high prevalence, costs of treatment and rehabilitation and the existence of widely proved preventive interventions. Therefore, three health aims were purposed in the framework of Health Plan for Catalonia for the year 2000. The objective of this paper will be discuss if these aims were achieved. Subjects and method: We have analized data related to distribution and evolution of tooth decay prevalence. This information was obtained from surveys carried out in 1983, 1991 and 1997 by the Department of Health and Social Security. This opinion polls were developed according to the methodology purposed by the WHO. Results: We have noticed an upward trend in the percentage of schoolchild free of caries. In 1997 there were 53% of schoolchild under 12 and 70% younger than 6 years old free of tooth decay. Furthermore, the DFT index sunk from 2.98 in 1983 to 0.9 in 1997. Conclusions: We could assess the evolution of the indicators related to the three health objectives drawn up. Two of three aims were fulfilled. We have noticed that the one concerning to dental caries prevalence under 6 years has not been achieved completely, although it showed a positive tendency (AU)