Is the school dentist coming back?

As far as the Ivory Cross is concerned, the last word has not yet been said on the reintroduction of the school dentist. Doctors of the World have put our reasons for this very well in their newsletter, Read more.

“Minister Schouten of Poverty Policy wants the school dentist to return, because one in five children never see a dentist. Although dental care is fully reimbursed up to the age of 18, many children, especially from poor families, do not go to the dentist because their parents do not go to the dentist themselves. That is because the parents are 'afraid of the bill', Schouten acknowledged. (Source: Dokters van de Wereld newsletter)

But is the school dentist the best solution? The Ivory Cross believes that it is better if parents and children receive brushing instructions from the dentist together. Moreover, the minister seems to forget the parents of these children. If a solution is needed for these children, a solution is also needed for the hundreds of thousands of parents who the minister knows cannot afford the dentist.

The best way to get children to the dentist is to include oral care for adults in the basic package again. Only then will we solve the problems related to oral care. For everyone!

The board of the IVK emphasizes that it is important that children are approached according to the new Youth Directive. If work is to be carried out in accordance with the spirit of this guideline, the use of school dentist buses ('drill buses') is undesirable. Central to the guideline is the guidance of the parent/carer and the child together!

We do, however, finally feel recognition from politicians for the affordability problems surrounding oral care. With Minister Schouten's plan for the children of minimum wage earners, it is impossible for the cabinet to turn a blind eye to the 1.5 million adults who suffer from a shortage of oral care.

It Ivory Cross please put it Adopt a Smile project set up by Lisette van der Harst and Saskia den Hartog. Within that project, dental care providers at the customers of the Food Banks in the Netherlands more attention has been drawn to the importance of good oral health. As Ivoren Kruis, we have made posters and flyers together with a number of partners that we are happy to distribute. The posters and flyers can be ordered free of charge in our Online store