While an annual visit to the dentist is recommended from the age of one, the French wait for the disease to progress before consulting.
Over the past decades, the oral health of the French has generally improved, especially that of young people. But access to prevention remains a real public health issue, warns the French Union for Oral Health (UFSBD) on the occasion of World Oral Health Day.
“Oral care remains one of the fields of health where prevention represents a ‘real chance’ of being able to act on a totally avoidable pathology, because above all the result of behavior that is not or badly acquired”, emphasizes Dr. Sophie Dartevelle, president of the UFSBD.
Lack of information
However, according to the association, the awareness of the French leaves much to be desired. Only 36% of French people are aware that oral problems can have an impact on general health. Therefore, hygiene rules such as 2 brushes a day for 2 minutes or an annual visit to the dentist, are far from being respected.
The UFSBD indicates that 4 out of 10 French people do not go to the dentist regularly. And when they go, more than half do so for an emergency. However, more regular follow-up would make it possible to avoid costly interventions of the prosthetic type.
For the association, these risky behaviors are caused by a lack of information. They are also the result of social inequalities which remain a barrier to access to care. A reality particularly visible in toddlers: at 6 years old, 70% of children of workers are free of cavities compared to 90% of children of executives.
Lower VAT
To enable vulnerable people to access oral health education and to encourage them to consult regularly, the health insurance has set up the M’T dents program, a free oral examination. This concerns children and adolescents aged 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 years old. Recently, this device was extended to pregnant women. From 4and pregnancy and up to 12and day after childbirth, they can benefit from this free consultation.
These actions have proven themselves. But it is clear that new measures are needed to improve the oral health of the most vulnerable. So the UFSBD proposes that oral hygiene products be considered as basic necessities and thus benefit from a reduction in VAT.
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