Regional Legislative Decree No. 19/2026/A, which came into effect on November 10, introduces the first amendment to Regional Legislative Decree No. 18/2025/A, dated July 14, which established the 'dental check' program in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The new decree modifies the program's access criteria, as well as the administrative procedures associated with its allocation and payment.
With the aim of expanding the number of households benefiting from the dental check, the legislative update proposes an adjustment to the income limit set for program access. This measure seeks to respond more adequately to the needs of Azorean families.
Joana Morais Ribeiro, representative of the Autonomous Region of the Azores on the OMD's Directive Council, explained that while the update represents an improvement, the process is still considered "excessively bureaucratic" for island health units (USI), especially when compared to the previous system for supporting oral treatments and rehabilitation, which was managed by the emergency social action support fund.
The regional legislative decree emphasizes that these changes "aim to strengthen access to oral healthcare, simplify administrative procedures, and ensure increasingly efficient use of public resources." The intention is to provide a more effective response to the needs of Azorean families.
