Established in 2011, the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe was formed to advocate for better oral health across the countries of the European community by working with the European Commission and European Parliament and national governments.
The Platform promotes a common European approach towards education, prevention and access to better oral health in Europe, something the British Dental Health Foundation strives to achieve on a daily basis.
Unveiled as part of a Europe-wide consultation and call for input, the proposed targets focus on three key priorities:
- Data collection systems;
- Preventive policies;
- Education and awareness.
The targets will serve as a basis to benchmark EU Member States’ progress towards increased prevention of oral diseases and improved oral health in Europe by 2020.
The targets build on the Platform’s State of Oral Health Report published in September 2012, which indicated that despite significant achievements in the prevention of tooth decay in Europe, much remains to be done, particularly in key areas such as:
- Promoting oral health awareness,
- Tackling oral health inequalities,
- Addressing common risk factors.
On the basis of the findings of the report, specific oral health objectives were defined against which the 2020 targets were developed, they aim to:
- Commit to improving oral health and preventing oral diseases by 2020 across Europe and within individual member states;
- Address increasing oral health inequalities;
- Prepare Europe’s healthcare and dental health workforce better to prevent oral diseases;
- Bridge the research gap in oral health promotion;
- Improve the data, the knowledge base and mechanisms for measuring, monitoring evaluation and reporting;
- Develop more prominent oral health initiatives and policies at a national and European level;
- Define best practice principles in prevention and oral health promotion.
In the EU, the socio-economic burden of oral diseases is considerable: they affect the majority of school aged children and adults and account for five per cent of public health spending. Costs of traditional curative treatment have risen from €54bn in 2000, to €79bn in 2012, and are expected to rise up to €93bn by 2020. Treatment expenditure exceeds that for other diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia. This is disturbing given that much of the oral disease burden is preventable.
Closer to home, in the UK an estimated £9.65bn was spent on oral health care in 2012 – a figure which is predicted to increase by almost a fifth (17.2 per cent) to £11.31bn by 2020. European and UK figures highlight the growing need for strategic oral health prevention policies in order to lower the overall amount spent on treatment.
Oral diseases remain a significant drain on public health finances in the UK. This is especially worrying given that much of the financial burden is due to dental caries, a chronic disease which is entirely preventable. The Platform may be a Europe-wide initiative, but the repercussions are felt throughout UK dentistry.
We must begin to recognise the common risk factors for oral diseases and other chronic diseases and work towards linking oral health policies across other European policies. We need a better integration of these policies in the UK, as well as across Europe, in addition to addressing the socio-economic of health inequality. Encouraging supportive environments in key local communities such as schools and colleges, hospitals, workplaces and care organisations,
will help to lower the disparities which still exist predominately among the vulnerable and those on lower incomes.
In my role as chair of the Platform I will work to build on the EU policy momentum for improved oral health created by the Call to Action on Better Oral Health for Europe; I will work to move oral health higher on EU health agenda, to strengthen the evidence based case for EU action and to address the major challenge of oral health inequalities.
The British Dental Health Foundation have tirelessly campaigned for more than 40 years to raise the profile of the importance of good oral health to general health and well-being. The significant increase in potential links between poor oral health and serious medical conditions only reinforces this message. We will continue to promote the benefits of prevention through routine oral hygiene practices and regular access to dental care.
The Platform is currently participating as a collaborating partner on two DG Sante Joint Actions on Chronic Diseases and Workforce Development. This gives the opportunity to mainstream oral health into other health agendas. The UK remains well ahead of many parts of Europe when it comes to monitoring improvement. Only a few weeks ago
we saw the Children’s Dental Health Survey of five year olds up to 15 year olds. This does not happen in many parts of Europe, and it is the job of the Platform to ensure this becomes the norm.
Cost remains the largest barrier to oral healthcare in the UK. If the Government followed the precedent set in America where some funders are now making oral health treatment free for those suffering from type-2 diabetes,
strokes and coronary artery disease it could potentially save the NHS millions of pounds.
An American study discovered that maintaining good oral health can reduce medical costs for many of these killers. The study looked at almost 350,000 patients with gum disease and discovered after treatment, on-going costs for those with type-2 diabetes, strokes, heart problems and pregnancy decreased by 40.2 per cent, 40.9 per cent, 10.7 per cent, and 73.7 per cent respectively.
The study also found hospital admissions were reduced after treatment for gum disease for those with diabetes and heart problems. Those figures give the clearest indication, yet the cost of prevention far outweighs the costs involved with restorative and emergency care. It is the job of the Platform and the Foundation to educate people that being financially prudent is one thing but the reality is the cost of neglecting oral health is even higher.
Finally, the Platform aims to promote and specifically address the needs of the public throughout the lifecycle from
children through to the elderly and inclusive of those with special needs. Initiatives like IOHOPI – Improving Oral Health in Older Persons Initiative – set precedents and benchmarks that I believe the Platform can build on. A Europe-wide approach to improving oral health from beginning to end will help to reduce the burden caused by poor oral health.