In the meeting the issues below were adressed:
1) To discuss the possibility of collaboration of neighbouring countries.
2) To get mutual support opportunuties
3) To discuss about dental professional policies and issues
4) To discuss the opportunity of collaboration with the manufacturers of materials and equipments.
President of Turkish Dental Association, Prof. Dr. Taner YUCEL who made a presentation in the first Platform Meeting said that the stable international relations which TDA has been maintaning for many years today have got to a prideful point for our country. And he went on to say: "We will be together with the Presidents of Dental Associations of 12 countries in our region who were invited to our country because of the congress of Turkish Dental Association. The scientific and economic relations with the neighbouring countries will contribute greatly to the regional peace and professional developments."
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The Presidents who thanked to Turkish Dental Association because of planning such a meeting and emphasized the importance of active participation for a start made wishes to continue the meetings in a regular basis. After these positive statements of the Presidents, it was decided to create a working group consisting of Prof. Dr. Nermin YAMALIK a member of the Commission for External Relations of the Turkish Dental Association; The Presidents of Egyptian, Albanian and Georgian Dental Associations to decide the shedule of the meetings to be continued. |
It was also decided that the second meeting of Neighbouring Countries Collaboration Platform will be realized within the 19 International Dental Congress of Turkish Dental Association between the dates of may 31st and June 02nd, 2012.It was organized a questionnaire study among the member countries about the developments in the dental field since the 1st Neighbouring Countries Collaboration Platform meeting, current problems in the dental field, the potential dangers related the future of dental field in your country and the potential opportunities related the future of dental field. Albanian Dental Association, Egyptian Dental Association, Lebanon Dental Association and Iraqi Dental Association participated in the survey and sent their reports.
STATUS OF DENTAL PROFESSION IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
Developments in the dental field since the 1st Neighbouring Countries Collaboration Platform meeting:
Turkey
There are a variety of activities of preventive practices for public oral care. But as these activities are not performed in a realistic organization, the people of our country face with some kind of oral health parameters that they do not merit. Turkish Dental Association has been continuing to work on performing the structural organization of "National Preventive Dentistry Project" by forming a "The Board of National Preventive Dentistry" under the leadership of Ministry of Health which consists of a lecturer related to the subject from each faculty of dentistry, this year too. A total of 141 scientific activities were submitted to the Higher Commission of Turkish Dental Association on Continuing Dental Education in the year of 2011. 140 of these scientific activities were credited.In the last 5 years, while the population of our country increased 6,87 %, the number of dental students increased 95%.
Egypt
The faculties of dentistry in Egypt are doing all they can to overcome the above mentioned problems, especially those related to clinical training, by establishing several continuous education courses in different fields of clinical dentistry; and especially in more advanced fields of clinical dentistry. They are also trying to overcome the problem of the large numbers of students by applying the recent trends of dental education in their post graduate studies for Master and Doctorate degrees. The Egyptian dental association is also deeply involved in trying to raise the standard of dental education and practice among Egyptian dentists in many ways: First and foremost, the EDA organizes a biannual International dental congress that brings many eminent foreign dental educators and practitioners to convey their experiences to Egyptian dentists. The EDA also publishes a quarterly Journal that publishes research work undertaken by many Egyptian, Arab and Middle Eastern dental researchers making it available to Egyptian dentists. The EDA, in collaboration with regional dental syndicates in many governorates hold bimonthly one-day, or sometimes two-day conferences in which Professors, mainly from the Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, take their experiences to dental colleagues in remote regions. The EDA also holds monthly lectures in their premises for colleagues from Cairo and neighboring districts in Professors from the Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, convey their experiences to private practitioners.
Lebanon
We have assured global social security coverage for all dentists .We have worked on the clinic's classifications by referring to IZO standard .We set up the Sodeco's Center for the continuous education. We have controlled the licenses which represent the permission to open a clinic.
Albania
The national licensing exam has been implemented recently in Albania. Student after being graduated have to perform 9 months of vocational training in a public or private clinic. After that the student can go through a electronic dental exam for about one hour. The students will pass if they receive 50 points from 100 points total. They have the right to enter the exam 5 times.
Iraq
Since 2003,after USA occupancy Iraq citizens has been affected by living in a situation leaping in dark to the utmost degree.
Current problems in the dental field:
Turkey
As dentists and doctors in public sector used to be able to practice in their liberal clinics after the end of their shift in public, now there is a law which prohibits public practitioners from working in liberal clinics. Due to the continuation of the opening of the new Dental Faculties without proper workforce planning, lack of the geographical distribution of the workforce and poor dental visits, our colleagues face a serious unemployment problem. The unrealistic policy that public will receive the oral care services of the population of 73 million from Oral and Dental Care Centers of Ministry of Health whose number is 123 is still in use. As the patients cannot reach to the dentists, the demand of Turkish Dental Association for getting services from the private dental clinics which are in almost every neighborhood has been tried to be transmitted to the government also in 2011. Ministry of Health, tried to continue to increase the employment of dentists in public sector. The Minister of Health has been trying to equalize the numbers of the self-employed dentists and dentists working in public sector.
Egypt
The large numbers of dental students in all our dental schools, this interferes with the ability of dental educators to devote enough time and effort to attend individually (or at least in small groups) to their dental students. The second most important problem is financial resources devoted to dental education and dental schools. As is well known, almost all dental materials, instruments and equipment in Egypt have to be imported. Our country does not have enough foreign currency to divert enough to the import of dental equipment and materials. As a result of this, our dental schools are unable to offer as much practical and clinical training to their students as they may wish or as is deemed desirable. The main problem concerning dental practice in Egypt, apart from the financial difficulties previously alluded to, id the unequal distribution of dentists according to population densities. This is mainly due to the fact that most middle class, educated people who have a good health and dental health awareness are concentrated mainly in Cairo and Alexandria, with a small proportion in a few other large cities. As a result of this, more than 80% of Egyptian dentists are located in those two cities, particularly in certain higher standard parts of them.
Lebanon
We are facing some problems in our country as, the expansion of illegal dispensaries providing free consultancy without any control from the government and the increase of graduated dentists every year.
Albania
Workforce planning: There are several dental school that have been opened in the recent years. All of them are private and they have increased dramatically the number of student and new graduates from them. Before it was only one school, the public dental school part of University of Tirana, Faculty of Medicine. Fee scale: There is not a fee scale obligatory for the dentists in Albania. The dentists can work free and the price of the treatment is not based on approved protocols, Treatment Protocol. There is still a need for approved treatment protocols. Increased number of student: These phenomena will decrease the quality of dental education especially in private schools.
Iraq
Generally it has been accepted that health services in Iraq is terribly vicious. Dental field has also received its share. The reasons for these circumstances: lack of effective education in dental faculties, bad condition of dental materials and vehicles, lack of control on medicine and treatment materials, lack of continuing dental education.
The potential dangers related the future of dental field in your country
Turkey
Ministry of Health, also in 2011, tried to continue to increase the employment of dentists in public sector. The Minister of Health has been trying to equalize the numbers of the self-employed dentists and dentists working in public sector. Ministry of Health employs our colleagues with an annual contract based employment without a job security. In addition, not the qualified treatment but the care for more patients in number is encouraged by the practice based on performance although the skewness in the system has been put into words, the legal struggle has also been continuing. Due to the continuation of the opening of the new Dental Faculties without proper workforce planning, lack of the geographical distribution of the workforce and poor dental visits, our colleagues face a serious unemployment problem. There are a variety of activities of preventive practices for public oral care. But as these activities are not performed in a realistic organization, the people of our country face with some kind of oral health parameters that they do not merit.
Egypt
The large numbers of dental students in all our dental schools, this interferes with the ability of dental educators to devote enough time and effort to attend individually (or at least in small groups) to their dental students. The main problem concerning dental practice in Egypt, apart from the financial difficulties previously alluded to, id the unequal distribution of dentists according to population densities.
Lebanon
We are facing a first danger due to the economical situation and the overflow graduated dentists in Lebanon therefore many of them are idleness victims. The second danger is that the government does not give the priority to the health sector.
Albania
The quality of care is questionable because of the quality and the quantity of the new graduates and there is no rule to guide and direct concerning: How many dentist we need? Where they should go to practice? When they can go? This is totally influenced by politics and is happening in other fields as well.
Iraq
Powerless central government, administrative corruption, lack of life safety of dentists.
The potential opportunities related the future of dental field
Turkey
Turkish Dental Association has been continuing to work on performing the structural organization of "National Preventive Dentistry Project" by forming a "The Board of National Preventive Dentistry" under the leadership of Ministry of Health which consists of a lecturer related to the subject from each faculty of dentistry, this year too. A total of 141 scientific activities were submitted to the Higher Commission of Turkish Dental Association on Continuing Dental Education in the year of 2011. 140 of these scientific activities were credited.
Egypt
To reverse this trend, on top of raising the standard of living among inhabitants of the more rural parts of Egypt, a very important aspect if to raise the level of dental health awareness among this population The first of these two objectives is the responsibility of the government.
The second, however, is definitely the responsibility of civilian organizations devoted to raising the standards of dental practice in Egypt; chief among which is the EDA. the problem of devoting adequate financial resources to maintain dental supplies, especially modern more sophisticated ones, as previously alluded to, will have to await improvement of the country's economic conditions, which we hope that the future governments of the revolution may be able to attain.
Albania
The national dental exam will try to select the best new graduates but now this is just a theory exam. Training and continuing education for general dentists and for specialists as well. A strategy for workforce planning and distribution. Approval of the Dental Order as a separate organization from Medical Order etc.
Iraq
Besides living in a peaceful environment it is important for people to lead a healthy way of life. Necessary and edaquate health services is a natural right of Iraq citizens as the citizens of other states.
