European group takes on oral health issues

Partners from public health associations, dental education, and businesses have launched the European Platform for Better Oral Health, designed to help improve oral healthcare and reduce the cost of oral diseases in Europe.

The project is the result of efforts by a diverse group of stakeholders to respond to the growing oral health challenge in Europe, according to the organization.

Members include the European Association of Dental Public Health, the Association for Dental Education in Europe, Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programs, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, and the Council of European Chief Dental Officers.

Over the next year, the platform members will tackle the growing challenges to oral health in Europe and promote education, prevention, and access to better oral health across Europe.

Fewer than 50% of European citizens have all of their original teeth, according to Kenneth Eaton, PhD, MSc, BDS, president-elect of the European Association of Dental Public Health.

Currently, treating oral diseases is estimated to cost European Union member states approximately 70 billion euros ($95 million U.S.) a year, making them the fourth most expensive diseases to treat.

The European Platform for Better Oral Health will work to support policy initiatives to address the major challenge of oral health inequalities in Europe, increase funding for the prevention of oral diseases, and create better understanding of the links between oral health and general health.

The organization will also work to improve citizens' knowledge of oral health and their access to reliable data, by strengthening evidence-based information and by becoming a single point of reference for citizens across Europe for information on oral diseases, their prevalence, and how to prevent them through routine dental hygiene practices.