Children’s Dental Clinic Opens in Birjand

As part of a plan to improve dental care services among young people, the Imam Ali (AS) children’s dental clinic in Birjand, South Khorasan Province, was inaugurated last week.

The clinic, built at a cost of 1.35 billion rials ($33,750) has six dental units. Its construction started two years ago in cooperation with Birjand University of Medical Sciences and the provincial Salamat Charity.

“The clinic will provide services to children from poor families” who cannot afford visits to specialized dental facilities, said Vida Ahmadi Peima, head of the dentistry care department at Birjand Medical University, IRNA reported.

“The services include screening and fluoride varnish therapy as well s restoration, scaling and fissure sealant.”

There are currently 60 public dental clinics in South Khorasan all of which have been renovated and upgraded. The centers provide free services for target populations which include children less than 14 years of age as well as pregnant women covered by rural insurance. Others with insurance have to pay a 30% tariff for the services.

Following the launching of the 2014 Health Reform Plan, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Education Ministry based on which all urban and rural primary schools should offer free dentistry services, said Hamid Samadzadeh, head of the Oral and Dental Health Department at the Health Ministry.

Also, fluoride varnish therapy has been carried out in 240,000 schools in the country at a cost of 500 billion rials ($12.5 million), he said.

Additionally, 2,400 dental clinics have been restored and 900 dentists employed in the public sector to make up for the lack of dental staff.

He commended Birjand Medical University for covering 77,000 (nearly 100%) primary school students in the province under the Fluoride Varnish Program.