Through the work on the revised national budget, the governing parties have agreed with SV to increase support for dental treatment for young adults. In addition to people in the age group 19 to 24 being reimbursed 75 per cent of the expenses, the scheme is extended to also apply to 25- and 26-year-olds. The scheme starts on 1 July. A change in the law will come during the year. This won no applause from the Norwegian Dental Association. – Priority should be given to the elderly in need of care – Why the left wants to spend badly needed millions on dental health services for young, healthy people is a mystery to me, says Heming Olsen-Bergem, president of the dental association. President Heming Olsen-Bergem of the Norwegian Dental Association. Photo: Kristin Aksnes He basically thinks that more money for dental health is good. However, the target group is completely wrong, he believes. – It is the elderly in need of care, vulnerable patients with major dental health challenges, patients with diseases affecting the oral cavity and drug addicts who need this money now, not healthy 25- and 26-year-olds, says Olsen-Bergem. The president says that although over one billion healthy kroner has been given to the public dental health service, 600 million of these go to the very healthiest. – This is pure welfare populism. Despite being called dental health, these grants have little to do with health. Olsen-Bergem believes that politicians should wait for the dental health committee’s report in October. – Then it would hopefully have been healthcare needs that were taken as a basis. Exploded capacity at public dentists Dentist Terje Fredriksen in Porsgrunn heads the central industry committee in the dental association and also sits as a member of the executive board. He believes the government chooses to use the money in a way that makes it uncertain whether the aid will arrive. Fredriksen believes the dentists will struggle to handle the increased influx of patients. – I have received signals from employees at the Skien dental clinic that they have no chance of managing this, and hope that private individuals can help solve the task. Fredriksen believes the main problem is the organization of the use of money, where it is expected that the public dental health service in the counties will solve the task, and not all Norwegian dentists. – Symbol politics – The Norwegian dental health service is special in the sense that two-thirds of the service consists of dentists in private practice and most of the capacity lies there. He believes that the private dentists provide good services to the population. – Why can’t I and my private practice colleagues be allowed to participate in this work so that we are sure that the group can easily get their dental care? Storting representative Bård Hoksrud (Frp) believes the government and SV are engaging in symbolic politics. – Especially when we know that the public dental health service is already struggling to provide dental treatment to those who have the right to free treatment, such as people between the ages of 21 and 24. Storting representative Bård Hoksrud (Frp) is a member of the Storting’s health and care committee. Photo: Tom Balgaard/news Hoksrud believes the money should rather go to better schemes for people with low incomes and who struggle with poor dental health. – Many, for example the elderly and disabled, simply cannot afford to take care of their dental health, but the government obviously chooses to ignore that. – In line with the government platform State Secretary Ellen Moen Rønning-Arnesen (Ap) in the Ministry of Health and Care indicates that expanding the public dental health service to even more young people is in line with the government platform. – This shows how well we are doing with the gradual expansion, so that the dental health service becomes more equal to other health services. Social differences in health are particularly evident in dental health and form a central starting point for our work in the field. State Secretary Ellen Moen Rønning-Arnesen in the Ministry of Health and Care. Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news The State Secretary believes politicians need more knowledge about the dental health service and the needs of the population. – That is why we are anxiously awaiting the dental health committee’s report, which should be completed by 1 October. There is no contradiction between the strengthening we have done in the dental health field and the ongoing work of the committee. Published 19.06.2024, at 08.10
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The Dental Association slaughters a new support scheme for young adults – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
