Inequalities regarding the oral health system in Europe and Romania

Abstract

The health status of the population is a complex phenomenon that expresses the health characteristics of the members of a community viewed as a whole, taking into account a series of biological, social and economic determinants. Among the socio-economic determinants that act at the individual level are financial income and the level of education. At the population level an important determining factor is represented by the national health policy. This refers to providing the population with medical personnel, financing and access to specialized medical services. In Romania, in contrast to the industrialized countries in Europe, the health policy is characterized by a chronic underfunding, with unfavorable effects on the state of oral health. Vulnerable populations, such as rural residents, as well as those with low incomes or the uninsured, have reduced access to specialized treatments due to the lack of dental offices in the respective areas, health insurance, and high costs. The improvement of public policies regarding the oral health of the population requires that the political decision-maker correctly identify the problems and find methods for an adequate budget allocation.