US based dentist Dr. Emanuel Finn supports inclusion of oral health in National Strategic Health Plan

Meanwhile, US based dentist Dr. Emanuel Finn supports inclusion of oral health in National Strategic Health Plan. On Monday, Health Minister Dr. Kenneth Darroux announced that ‘as part of the National Strategic Plan on Health for 2010 to 2019, an island wide survey of Oral Health will be conducted to take the necessary steps to improve oral health in Dominica’.

The Health Minister went to say, “Oral health through promotion and disease prevention, reduce the incidents of dental cavities and oral cancer, through prevention and early detection programs, that begin screening children at age six, before they enter primary and secondary school,”
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Darroux expressed concern over the rise in oral cancer due to the excessive consumption of tobacco products and alcohol consumption and other social behaviors and the prevention steps will be needed to be taken to reverse and mitigate this disturbing trend.

According to Washington DC based dentist Dr. Emanuel Finn, Dominicans should be encouraged by the inclusion of oral health in the National Strategic Plan on Health.  Finn says this is critical because oral health is an integral aspect of general health, and if one does not have good oral health, invariably, he/she does not have good overall health.

Dr. Finn contends that good oral (dental) health can be achieved, and oral diseases are largely preventable. But he cautions that’, In order for the oral health plan goals to succeed, and for Dominicans to get optimal dental health, some realignment and a new sense of order of doing things health-wise in Dominica need to be realized.

The Health Ministry will have to collaborate with stakeholders, create and nurture sustainable government-public-private and community-based partnerships’.