Dr. Lucas Bermudo Añino is about to complete one year at the head of the Andalusian Council of Dentists , which is the official institution that encompasses the eight Official Associations of Dentists of Andalusia. Elected unanimously by the Plenary Session of the Andalusian Council of Dentists, Bermudo replaced Luis Cáceres Márquez, who has held the distinction of highest representative of Andalusian dentists since 2001. Dr. Bermudo also holds the position of president of the College of Dentists. Dentists in Malaga for 23 years . In the week in which he met with the Minister of Health of the Government of Andalusia, Catalina García, he attended Dentalia to take stock of his first year in office and explain the challenges that he will have to face.

It has been a year since your election as president of the Andalusian Council of Dentists, how do you value these months of work?

The balance I make is very positive. A year ago we together achieved greater stability in the Andalusian Council of Dentists, unanimously choosing not only who was going to hold the presidency, but all the decisions we have been making since then. This means that there is now a very good atmosphere among professionals who work for the profession. From my point of view the balance is very positive and I think we are in a sweet moment in the relationship between the Andalusian dental schools.

The team in which I have the president of the College of Granada, Francisco Javier Fernández Parra as vice president or the president of the College of Huelva, Víctor Núñez Rubio, as a member of the permanent commission is very important.

He has just held a meeting with the health advisor of the Junta de Andalucía, Catalina García. How do you value these meetings with representatives of the administration?

These meetings are always very positive. The first thing I did on my work shift was to thank him for holding this meeting because we are not used to being called by the administration to listen to us.

“At the meeting the different representatives of the administration wanted to gather the feelings of the profession, which is something very positive”
In addition to the counselor, the deputy minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, María Luisa del Moral, was present at the meeting; the managing director of the Andalusian Health Service, Valle García; the general secretary of Humanization, Planning, Socio-health Care and Consumption, Francisco Javier Vázquez; the general director of Consumer Affairs, Milagros de Borbón; and the general director of Humanization, Planning, Coordination and Care of the SAS, Inmaculada Vázquez. Everyone wanted to capture the feeling of the profession, which is something very positive.

The counselor told us that she intends to hold meetings with the different councils every three or four months.

What are the concerns that were transmitted from the Andalusian Council of Dentists to the counselor in this meeting?

There were several. First of all, we ask for your support to obtain specialties in dentistry, a demand that has been requested nationally for quite some time. This is an issue that falls within the responsibility of the ministry, but the support of the autonomous communities is needed.

Another topic we discussed was the responsible use of antibiotics. We believe that it is necessary to establish an adequate guide and that the professional can prescribe the medication that he considers appropriate since the training we have supports us for this. It is good to have a protocol but the professional must act in each specific case as appropriate.

“We have a profession that is increasingly regulated and we need time to adapt to the new regulations”
The new Legionellosis law was another of the issues we discussed at the meeting. Starting in January 2024, they must adopt the necessary measures established in this law, and from the Council we ask that we be able to carry out a progressive implementation. There has not been any case of legionellosis in a dental office in Spain or in the world. We have a profession that is increasingly regulated and we need time to adapt to the new regulations.

For us, another important topic is orofacial harmonization with hyaluronic acid since it is a topic that is the responsibility of dentists. There is more and more training in this area and we wanted to put it on the table in the meeting with the authorities.

Advertising is another concern that dentists have. Regulation is necessary to prevent misleading advertising and promises of results that are not real. One of the steps that is being taken in this regard is the obligation to include in all advertisements the identification number of the dental clinic that is being advertised.

One of the important news for dentists in Andalusia recently has been the preparation of the Oral Health Plan 2023-2027. How was this plan addressed in the meeting?

At this meeting we wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate the administration for this Oral Health Plan, which seems very ambitious to us. It is about to be approved and I hope it is fulfilled because it includes several positive aspects.

“I hope this Oral Health Plan is fulfilled, which seems very ambitious to us and contains very positive measures.”
On the one hand, the hiring of new professionals, the expansion of health centers with dental support devices. On the other hand, it also contemplates the renewal of equipment. It proposes a reorganization of the Andalusian Dental Assistance Plan (PADA) by increasing the cohorts and decreasing the initial age to be served by this plan. And it also includes oral care for people over 65 years of age, who are a population group generally with more oral pathologies. As professionals we have also addressed capitation payment and it has been indicated that it will be increased progressively.

Another of the important topics addressed in this Oral Health Plan is Hospital Dentistry, with the creation in the highest-ranking hospitals of specialized hospital dentistry units where treatments that cannot be done in a health center that require them are performed. sedation, anesthesia, etc.

What is the evolution of the number of dentists in Andalusia and how is it affecting the overpopulation of dentists reported by some groups of Dental Health professionals?

Nowadays, if you walk through cities and towns, you see dental clinics everywhere. We believe that the situation must always be in accordance with the needs of the population.

“The increase in professionals is causing job insecurity”
The number of graduates from both public and private universities, added to the professionals who come to Spain from other countries, means that new professionals require more training to access a market that provides them with less stability. This situation makes work more precarious.

What is the evolution of the number of dentists in Andalusia and how is it affecting the overpopulation of dentists reported by some groups of Dental Health professionals?

In recent years we have detected a clear increase in the importance that the Andalusian population gives to the health of their mouth. Oral health has improved, there are more and more dentists, more people go to the dentist and the public sector also serves.

“Our main objective is to promote oral health among Andalusians”
Apart from the usual pathologies such as cavities and periodontal diseases, we have noticed a clear increase in diseases derived from stress. Pathologies such as bruxism and teeth grinding may be consequences of the current lifestyle that have increased cases among the patients we see in consultations.

We are concerned about the health habits of the population and in the consultation we teach about it, advising against tobacco, alcohol, a sedentary life, etc. However, we notice that more and more people are taking care of their oral health, for example at work, brushing their teeth after a meal. This has been a progressive change and is in line with our main objective, which is to promote oral health among Andalusians.

You can consult the original interview published on the ConSalud.es page at the following link:
“The Oral Health Plan of Andalusia is very ambitious and we hope it is fulfilled”