Local services
The dental surgery of the Gönczy Pál Primary School in Debrecen has been expanded with a new dental treatment unit.
The details were presented at a press conference held on the 13th of October 2023, by Ákos Balázs, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, Csaba Papp, Director of the Debrecen Institute for Primary Care and Health Promotion (Daefi) and Péter Hegymegi, Head of the Gönczy Pál Primary School in Debrecen.
Ákos Balázs, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, said in his opening speech that he had another great news to announce in Józsa, as the Gönczy Pál Primary School has now been running a paediatric dental clinic for 18 years, which has undergone a complete renewal.
The deputy mayor added that Józsa now has a population of more than 13,200, including many families with young children. For them, it is of the utmost importance that the services that affect them, whether educational or health care, are improved.
Ákos Balázs stressed that the development of dental care is of particular importance because if care is available locally, children can come here much more often and much more frequently, and thus, they can preserve the health of their teeth.
In his speech, the deputy mayor said that Debrecen is a caring city, and this renovation is also a result of the work of Daefi in Debrecen to improve the quality of healthcare. This renewed treatment unit in Józsa has been built with a budget of 10 million forints and will contribute to the health of the 2200 children in the district.
Ákos Balázs also said that in a caring city, the most crucial goal is to focus on education development, nature conservation, health promotion and transport development. Thus, he is pleased to note that a number of announcements have been made in this regard in recent times.
Csaba Papp, director of the Debrecen Institute of Primary Care and Health Promotion (Daefi), stressed the importance of bringing dental care closer to children through this and similar clinics in other schools.
Speaking about the role of Daefi, he said that they were a governmental function but were fortunate to be operating within the university. This gives them a solid scientific background, which makes it easier for them to work in this area.
In Józsa, paediatric dentistry started 18 years ago, but there has been such a growth in the population over the last 5-10 years that there are now one and a half districts, so they are serving 2,200 children.
The director added that, following surveys, parents receive twice-yearly reports on the state of their children’s teeth. If any intervention is needed, the school dental clinic can provide free dental care by appointment within the school health framework.
Csaba Papp stressed that before the coronavirus epidemic, the index showing the number of children with bad teeth was below 1; during the epidemic, this increased to 2.4 but has now decreased to 1.4. This decrease reflects the effect of children returning to regular dental check-ups and treatment, with the cooperation of parents playing a significant role. The university is providing all the support for this work, and, as a primary care institution, it is a source of pride to be able to hand over a new treatment unit again.
Péter Hegymegi, head of the Gönczy Pál Primary School in Debrecen, sees the significance of the development in the fact that one of the important elements of the institution’s profile is education for a healthy lifestyle and the preservation of a healthy life, so they are very pleased that the dental surgery has been renewed. They can encourage children not to fear the dentist because a smile says it all.
According to Dr. Zsuzsanna Szathmáry, a doctor at the dental clinic, the clinic is a friendly, welcoming place where children like to come. She is very grateful that they are supported by this new treatment unit, which helps to keep the children’s teeth healthy.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
