On the occasion of its 50th anniversary and in the run-up to World Oral Health Day (March 20), the UFSBD (French Union for Oral Health) points to an alarming situation:
58% of French people who have visited a dental office in the last 12 months have done so for an emergency and 47% still think it takes less than 1 minute to brush your teeth (below the recommended time for effective brushing).
Other worrying figures: at 5 years old, 4% of the children of executives have at least untreated decay against 23% for the children of workers and 75% of residents in EHPAD have a dilapidated oral health condition.
“The oral health sector remains one of the areas of health where prevention represents a real chance of being able to act on a completely preventable pathology, because above all the result of unsuccessful or ill-acquired behavior”, explains Dr Sophie Dartevelle, President of the UFSBD who calls for “awareness of public authorities”.
Prevention actions
To help this awareness, the UFSBD wants oral hygiene products to be considered as essential products and to be subject to a reduction in VAT. In addition, dentists insist on the need to modify the ANSM recommendations regarding fluoride, particularly for children. “Reinforce current fluoride doses would increase their chance of maintaining good oral health “ underlines the UFSBD.
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