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# Oral health in Colombia: the routine care pathway

- Topic

Colombia's health promotion pathway includes oral health checks, fluoride varnish, sealants and plaque control at set ages, and dental care in pregnancy.

Updated Nov 12, 2026

## Key points

- Resolución 3280 de 2018 puts oral health in Colombia's routine pathways.
- Varnish, sealants and plaque control by age; dental check in pregnancy.
- Every medical contact is a chance to look and refer.

## What it is

In Colombia, oral health is part of the Ruta Integral de Atención para la Promoción y Mantenimiento de la Salud and the maternal-perinatal pathway, defined by Resolución 3280 de 2018 of the Ministry of Health. These pathways set, by life stage, periodic oral health assessment by dentists, fluoride varnish application, pit-and-fissure sealants, dental plaque control and removal of calculus, education on hygiene and diet, and dental assessment in pregnancy. Doctors and nurses in well-child, adolescent, adult and prenatal visits examine the mouth, give advice and refer. Caries and periodontal disease remain among the most common health problems worldwide, and salt fluoridation is Colombia's community measure.

## Key facts

- Resolución 3280 de 2018 sets the oral health activities of the routine pathways by age.
- Children and adolescents: oral health assessment, fluoride varnish, sealants and plaque control at defined intervals.
- Pregnant women: dental assessment during prenatal care.
- Medical visits include examining the mouth and referring to dental care.
- Fluoridated salt is the national community fluoride measure.

## In clinical practice

- Every contact with a child or pregnant woman is a chance to look in the mouth and refer.
- People in rural and dispersed areas face access barriers; prioritise referral of those with pain or infection.
- Record dental findings in the clinical history so the care team can follow up.

## Next step / Initial management

- At well-child, adolescent and prenatal visits: examine the mouth, give hygiene and diet advice, and refer to the dentist as the pathway indicates.
- Refer anyone with pain, swelling, caries or bleeding gums to dental care without waiting for the next routine visit.
- Check current national guidance for intervals and ages, because programmes are updated.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Which Colombian regulation sets the oral health activities of the routine care pathways?

Resolución 3280 de 2018 of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

## Which preventive dental procedures do the pathways include for children?

Oral health assessment, fluoride varnish, pit-and-fissure sealants and plaque control.

## What community fluoride measure does Colombia use?

Fluoridated salt.

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## Connections

## Related 5

- [Preventing caries: fluoride, sealants and diet](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/preventing-caries-fluoride-sealants-and-diet/)
- [Early childhood caries](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/early-childhood-caries/)
- [Pregnancy and oral health](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/pregnancy-and-oral-health/)
- [When the doctor should refer to the dentist, and how urgently](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/when-the-doctor-should-refer-to-the-dentist-and-how-urgently/)
- [Dental charting and the DMFT index](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/dental-charting-and-the-dmft-index/)

## Related conditions 2

- [Dental caries](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/dental-caries/)
- [Periodontitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/periodontitis/)

[← All of dentistry](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/)

Educational content; it does not replace assessment by a dentist or doctor and is not a clinical instruction. For facial or neck swelling with difficulty swallowing or breathing, a knocked-out tooth or bleeding that will not stop, go to an emergency department at once.

Sources: [Resolución 3280 de 2018: Rutas Integrales de Atención en Salud para la Promoción y Mantenimiento de la Salud y Materno Perinatal](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/DE/DIJ/resolucion-3280-de-2018.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2018); [Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240061484) (World Health Organization, 2022); [Oral health](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health) (World Health Organization, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/oral-health-in-colombia-the-routine-care-pathway/