“Healthy teeth should not be a luxury”

Switzerland quickly tears the teeth from asylum seekers, as shown in our investigation. No problem, estimates an UDC national advisor. A PS politician sees a need for reform, beyond the area of asylum.

When we talk about asylum applicants and dental treatments, refugees are often criticized for being “redone” the teeth at the taxpayer’s expense. Indeed, a large part of the asylum applicants, people admitted provisionally and persons benefiting from the protection status are supported by the public authorities.

However, as our investigation shows, this reproach does not correspond at all to the reality of Swiss dental firms. The people concerned and the professionals of asylum and dental medicine describe that some people suffering from dental problems are placed in front of the following choice:

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Admittedly, teeth uprooting is one of the recommendations of the association of cantonal dental doctors (AMDCs) for people under asylum law, because this solution is effective and inexpensive. But the co -president of this organization, Peter Suter, comments:

Unacceptable for the PS, normal for the UDC

Questioned by watsonUDC national councilor Michael Graber says he considers the current system as “reasonable, pragmatic and human”. Valaisan, which is a member of the Social Security and Public Health Commission, is of the opinion that medical services must be staggered according to the patient’s status:

Even if, in practice, it sometimes means tore teeth without offering alternative treatment?
Graber responds in the affirmative:

Graber says that a refugee person having a tooth snapped down a prosthesis as soon as they have a job. Nor does he think that the people who are missing from the teeth have difficulty finding a job. For Michael Graber, this is a question of principle:

Nina Schläfli sees things diametrically differently. The National PS Councilor, which is part of the Commission of Political Institutions and takes care of asylum issues, stresses:

Thurgovienne considers that it is “intolerable” that people with asylum receive lower services than those of people benefiting from ordinary social assistance.

Dental medicine is an expensive field, admits Nina Schläfli. It can therefore quite understand that all the treatments of people in the course of asylum procedure are not taken care of from the start. Nevertheless, she is of the opinion that it is a question of principle:

According to Nina Schläfli, this is not only an ethical problem: either should not be overlooked by the costs generated by unrealized dental problems or torened teeth. Appropriate treatment is in the interest of all, it affirms:

The UDC Graber national councilor considers on the contrary that individual responsibility must be maintained at a high level in dental medicine:

PS politician Schläfli contradicts it:

According to her, there are situations where the social state has a duty to be fulfilled. For example in social dental medicine for persons relating to the right of asylum.

In Switzerland, social dental medicine is already a safety net for those who cannot pay their dentist bills themselves. Isn’t that enough?
Nina Schläfli dit que non:

As shown in the investigation of watsonthese holes are sometimes filled by private privates or dental offices. But this is not a viable solution, says Schläfli:

But whether or not we receive a good treatment should not be a lottery, according to her:

The Social Politician and the Graber Health of the UDC responds:

Even if you tear out young people or refugees whose dentition is also healthy.

A reform is necessary, according to the PS

Socialist politician Schläfli considers that it is particularly necessary to act with regard to people with status F, that is to say, those admitted provisionally. Like asylum applicants, they only receive reduced treatments in dental offices, while they often stay in Switzerland for many years.

Schläfli sees it as an inequality of unfair treatment:

For her, this status requires a reform that goes beyond dental medicine.

Graber answers in the negative to the question of whether more generous rules should apply to people admitted provisionally in dental care. “The request of these people has been rejected,” he said. This is why he believes that limited benefits, as in the current system, are appropriate.

General dental insurance as a solution?

Unlike the national councilor UDC Graber, the national councilor PS Schläfli considers that it is necessary to act at the political level, and not only at the level of the status F:

According to her, cantonal differences should also be analyzed and assess the costs and advantages of current practice. And the question of how to guarantee and control minimum standards.

According to Schläfli, a solution would be to have general dental insurance or to integrate dental treatments into basic health insurance. She maintains that dental treatments represent a financial challenge for many people, including those who benefit from ordinary social assistance or who have a small budget and must manage without the help of the State. Graber firmly opposes these proposals.

Politically, Schläfli’s claim should find it difficult to pass. Last year, a motion from the National Councilor of the Greens Katharina Prelicz, who wanted to integrate the coverage of dental medicine in basic insurance, was rejected by 123 votes against 62.

Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci

The word is yours: do you have problems paying your dentist bills? Tell us all in comments!