A change of approach

The €6m research project, funded by the European Union, aims to bring about a shift in dental care practices, from a focus on treating teeth by extraction and fillings, to more effective oral health care treatments to prevent disease in the first place.

Dental treatment costs an estimated €79bn* a year across the EU, yet these diseases are almost entirely preventable.

Using de-identified data from millions of health records across Europe, researchers will work with dental professionals and insurers to identify effective strategies in preventing disease in each country. Providing continuous feedback to shape best practice, a set of key performance indicators will be developed that dentists and healthcare systems can measure against.

The project will be led by the University of Leeds, in conjunction with the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam and the University of Heidelberg, in collaboration with NHS England, universities and dental insurers from across Europe.

Professor Helen Whelton, Dean of Leeds Dental School and project lead, said: “The World Health Organization has said that dental diseases are the most common chronic diseases known to man. We want to change this.”