Is the oral health reform in Israel optimally distributed? - A commentary

Abstract

A traditional and ethical principle recognizes a country's primary general welfare responsibility to the young and the old. However, the middle, adult, age group cannot and should not be disregarded. The current dental component of the National Health Insurance Law (NHIL), in Israel, only includes children and the elderly. The present commentary focuses on the large group of adults, age 19-74, which are currently excluded. The cumulative incidence of disease increases over the lifetime of a person. We believe that a NHIL commitment with a major age gap in coverage is unacceptable. The recent manuscript, published by Natapov et al., in this journal, has documented the overall dental health of the older Israeli population, with emphasis on nutritional aspects. This contribution to the literature is commendable. However, we aim to follow in the steps of the Alma Ata Declaration and Ottawa Charter of the World Health Organization (WHO) and to clarify that the government's responsibility should cover all residents regardless of their age. In addition, a dental health epidemiological data base, currently nonexistent for adults, is called for.