Sonrisas Inclusivas

La Revolución de la Estomatología hacia la Salud Universal

Por Especialista en Salud Pública Bucodental

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The Silent Cry of Forgotten Smiles

In a world where 3.5 billion people suffer from untreated oral diseases (WHO, 2025) 5 , dentistry faces a critical paradox: technological advances without equity in access. While artificial intelligence systems design perfect smiles in elite clinics, vulnerable communities lack basic care. This abyss reflects the urgency to reinvent oral health as a fundamental right, not a privilege.

Global Impact

Oral diseases affect nearly half of the world's population, with severe consequences for overall health and quality of life.

Access Challenge

Universal health coverage in dentistry remains an unmet goal for billions worldwide, particularly in low-income communities.

Dentistry at the Global Crossroads: Alarming Data

The weight of inequality manifests in compelling figures:

93%

of Mexicans have untreated cavities 7

11%

access orthodontics in Latin America 7

17M

implants placed in Spain (2015-2025) with 25% peri-implantitis due to lack of follow-up 3

WHO defines universal health as "access without discrimination to comprehensive, timely and quality services, without financial difficulties" . In dentistry, this clashes with worrying realities: 29.3% of the population in the Americas does not seek dental care due to economic, geographic barriers or distrust in systems .

The Great Test: Spain's Community Access Experiment

In 2025, Spain launched a Primary Oral Health Care Action Plan (2025-2027) as a universal health laboratory. Designed under WHO principles, this "social experiment" sought to measure the impact of selective free care on vulnerable populations.

Methodology:

  1. Sample population: 450,000 beneficiaries (children <14, pregnant women, elderly, cancer patients) 8
  2. Interventions:
    • Prevention: Fissure sealants and fluoridation
    • Treatment: Extractions, minor surgery, medication
    • Education: Oral hygiene and nutrition
  3. Control:
    • Group A: Plan beneficiaries (free coverage)
    • Group B: General population (traditional access)
Table 1: Coverage of the Spanish Plan 2025
Beneficiaries Services Included Exclusions
Children <14 years Sealants, dental trauma Aesthetic orthodontics
Pregnant women Cleanings, prenatal education Whitening
Cancer patients Radiotherapy protection Complex prostheses
Elderly Remineralization, deterioration prevention Non-medical implants

Preliminary Results (August 2025):

40% increase in preventive consultations in minors
18% reduction in emergency extractions
Critical challenge: Limitation in complex treatments (implants, functional orthodontics) due to budget restrictions

The model confirms that targeted free care reduces the burden of acute disease, but reveals a gap in comprehensive care. As Dr. Ramón Monpell (digital orthodontics expert) states: "Without continuity in reconstructive treatments, we create stabilized patients, not rehabilitated ones" 2 .

The Solution Triangle: Technology, Training and Policy

Technological Revolution
  • 3D intraoral scanners reduce diagnostic costs by 30% 7
  • Accelerated invisible orthodontics (18 to 6 months) 9
  • Teledentistry platforms democratize access 7
Professional Retraining

"Professionals must master not only clinical techniques, but public health and social determinants" — Gispert AE 6

  • AI in treatment planning
  • Intercultural community management
  • Population data analysis
Public Policies

The Spanish model (€180 million investment) integrates:

  1. Progressive financing
  2. Integration with primary care
  3. Epidemiological monitoring 3
Table 2: Impact of Technologies on Accessibility
Technology Cost Reduction Coverage Expansion Limitations
3D prosthesis printing 45% Rural areas Basic materials
AI platforms (ClinCheck) 28% Self-diagnosis Internet required
Portable dental lasers 32% Indigenous communities Learning curve

Towards a Dentistry Without Borders

Universal oral health is not utopia: it is a scientific and ethical imperative. As the Spanish plan demonstrates, when affordable technology, human training and political will align, realities transform. The challenge remains: to integrate implants, functional orthodontics and oral rehabilitation into public systems.

Did you know? In 2025, Align Technology manufactures 1 million aligners daily using AI 2 . The goal: that no child waits for them.
Call to Action:
  • Citizens: Demand oral health policies in health plans
  • Professionals: Adopt low-cost technologies and community approach
  • Governments: Invest in prevention, not just treatments
Author
About the Author

Specialist in Public Dental Health with over 15 years of experience in universal health policies and innovative dental care solutions. Contributor to WHO oral health initiatives and advisor to several Latin American governments.

References