The Spanish Society of Epidemiology and Oral Public Health (SESPO) will celebrate on October 25 and 26, 2024, its XXIX National Congress in the city of Santiago de Compostela. Under the motto “Oral health as part of a healthy lifestyle”, the meeting will address current public health challenges, such as alcohol and drug consumption, the advance of bacterial resistance, sedentary lifestyle and the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle habits, as well as the challenges faced by Dentistry as a profession in the public, private and community spheres.
Speaking to Dentalia, Almudena Rodríguez Fernándezpresident of the Organizing Committee of the XXIX SESPO 2024 Congress, Dentist and Professor in the Preventive Medicine and Public Health Area of the University of Santiago de Compostela, explains that “the program also includes workshops that, in a practical way, will allow attendees to learn about the advances in oral cancer detectionthe materials used in minimal intervention dentistry, integrating neuro-occlusal rehabilitation and the ICDAS system and how to carry out quality research in dentistry.
At the Congress, innovative aspects related to strategies to promote healthy lifestyles will be presented. “There will be talk about the need to adopt a holistic approach in the treatment of our patients and the challenges that dentistry faces in the public and private spheres,” says Rodriguez. “The program will present strategies aimed at preventing the consumption of legal and illegal drugs and at responsible use of medicationswhere we have included a presentation on the contribution of dentistry to the public health problem of bacterial resistance,” he adds.
“At this congress there will be workshops to learn about advances in the detection of oral cancer, the materials used in minimal intervention dentistry or how to carry out quality research in dentistry”
In the different presentations, topics related to diet, sports and oral health will be discussed, addressing How the oral microbiota can influence overall healthwhat nitrates are, how to know what we eat by deciphering food labeling and the need to reinforce the binomial of health and physical activity from dentistry. “The last block will deal with teledentistry, care for patients with disabilities, as well as the 2030 objectives,” says the president of the congress. For encourage participation of the attendees, points out that “in all the blocks a round table has been included made up of the speakers from each block and guests, in which the participation of all the congressmen will be sought, since very interesting ideas and novel aspects may arise that “They will help establish new challenges and opportunities for collaboration.”
SESPO is a society made up of dentists and hygienists who work in the public, private, academic and management sectors, which is why SESPO Congresses encourage the exchange of perspectives, through a joint program. “The Congress headquarters has spaces to network with colleagues, share research and clinical experiencesand establish networking networks in a very relaxed environment,” Rodríguez emphasizes. The Congress will have 23 speakers with great experience from the clinical, university and health management fields who will carry out presentations and workshops, to whom the president thanks their collaboration and involvement with the Congress, “since without them it would not be possible ”, he acknowledges.
The president of SESPO recognizes that the Advancement of bacterial resistance is a public health problem. “In my opinion, one of the main advances in the fight against resistance has been the awareness by dental professionals of their role as prescribers and educators of the population,” he highlights.
“It is necessary to allocate more resources to oral health and promote prevention measures”
The expert indicates that oral pathologies share risk factors and social determinants with non-communicable diseases, which is why she maintains: “We must reflect on the crucial role of oral health in a healthy lifestyle and move together towards a more integrated and people-centered dentistry”. The promotion of oral health as part of a healthy lifestyle will allow for the establishment of more effective prevention strategies and will highlight the role of dentists in health care and in the promotion of general health.
“In my opinion, public administrations must integrate dentists with training in planning and health management in the design of health policies. It is necessary create an oral health department in the Ministry of Healthand of course, it is necessary to allocate more resources to oral health and promote preventive measures”, demands the president of SESPO. Remember that in the latest Report on the global status of oral health published by the World Health Organization, reference is made to the high direct costs of oral care and that they also “pose a considerable financial burden on families and communities, that are not included in universal health coverage.”
The event will bring together some 200 congressmen among dentists, hygienists, students and professionals from other specialties interested in health promotion and oral health. Although Rodriguez remembers that the SESPO Congress It is open to the entire population since “oral health is not a problem exclusive to dental professionals. Oral diseases are the most common pathologies in the entire population and can be prevented with effective and affordable public health measures,” he concludes.
ConSalud’s content is prepared by journalists specialized in health and endorsed by a committee of top-level experts. However, we recommend that the reader consult any health-related questions with a healthcare professional.