European price tag

The study was commissioned by the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe, a forum that brings together European organisations that work towards the promotion of oral health and the prevention of oral diseases in Europe. The report analysed data from 12 European countries (Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom). 

The report shows that – despite significant achievements in the prevention of cavities in Europe – much remains to be done in areas such as: promoting oral health awareness, tackling oral health inequalities and addressing common risk factors. Further indispensable tools in the fight for better oral health in Europe include the development of high quality, comparable oral health data and better cost-effectiveness studies to assess the impact of prevention initiatives.

On the basis of the report findings, the Platform has developed a series of recommendations and calls on policymakers to:

Presenting the results of the study at the first European Oral Health Summit, held today at the European Parliament in Brussels, Member of the European Parliament Ms. Karin Kadenbach said, “In a time of austerity measures and growing pressure on healthcare budgets, this report is a timely reminder that we have to tackle the persisting disparities in oral health across and within EU countries, with regards to socioeconomic status, age, gender, or indeed general health status.”