Generation after generation, in Portuguese school benches, young people have always been indoctrinated to value their history. Whether through old almanacs from the Salazar regime or collections in History classes during the democratic period, young people were appealed to by the great deeds of our predecessors, where a patriotic prelude consolidated and always honored the brave and immortal nation.
The celebrations of November 25th opened a competitive dispute typical of the bipolarization of party politics in Portugal. From left to right, voices call for a more important place in the recent history of the democratic period. However, this schism headed by the main leaders of our parliamentary cast is not followed by the vast majority of the population, especially those who were born after the events of the Revolution.
More than media paragonas, with military honors and with the Assembly of the Republic full of white roses officers (red carnations were the alternative flower for only a few), I am sure that the Portuguese would choose to celebrate a country with a better position in the European Union. They would like to celebrate the achievement of democracy, made by rebels and moderates, with a country that presented a higher rate of social and economic development. They would prefer that the desertification of the interior or the immigration of many young people abroad were being stopped; that the 25 Governments after April 25th had been able, over these years, to prevent almost a quarter of Portuguese people from living in poverty today; and that Portugal would be able to, at least, keep up with the countries in the European Union that, after our revolutions and democracies, flourished immensely, unlike us.
Between roses and carnations, over 50 years, the oral health of the Portuguese was left behind, forgotten, and continues to be inaccessible to the majority of the population, unable to invest significantly in their own oral health. The reality is harsh: not only do our smiles continue to be neglected, but oral health has been relegated to a secondary level on the list of health policy priorities.
Celebrating the past is essential, but we must not forget to look at the present and recognize what was not done throughout these years of freedom, rights and guarantees. It is necessary to affirm oral health as a fundamental right, thus preparing a better and brighter future for all Portuguese people. The neglect of this issue cannot be another open wound in a country that is fighting to assert itself as a dignified and prosperous nation.
May the upcoming November 25th celebrations be not just a parade of memories, but a renewed commitment to the health and well-being of all citizens. Oral health is an integral part of human dignity and cannot continue to be ignored. The responsibility for a better future in the hands of today’s leaders must be accompanied by concrete actions that place the oral health of Portuguese citizens at the forefront of public policies, because, between roses and carnations, we cannot allow our smiles to be left behind.