The French Union for Oral Health has decided to launch a number of awareness-raising campaigns among the population but also among the African government. in order to make it one of his priorities. For if its impact on general health is no longer to be demonstrated, most French people are unaware of this link. Europe Eduss gives you its opinion on these awareness-raising actions.
The UFSBD manifesto
It has just published it so that this theme is considered a real health challenge to be taken up in the coming years. The French neglect their teeth and therefore their health in general.
The majority of French people benefit from health coverage that fully covers care in this area. However, nearly four out of ten French people do not go to the dentist. This is a worrying reality in terms of health, because oral health and health in general are closely linked. Dr. Sophie Dartevelle, president of the UFSBD, states that “No one today can declare themselves to be in good health if they are not in good oral health”.
Review of Europe Eduss
Europe Eduss agrees with the UFSBD that poor oral health leads to heart and joint problems. Untreated cavities or diseased gums allow bacteria and toxins to enter the body.
Too many inequalities and misconceptions
Oral health is an indicator of health inequalities. The children of workers, compared to those of managers, are six times more likely to suffer from untreated caries, with the serious effects this can have on their overall condition. In 2016, nearly a third of French people did not go to the dentist when they needed to. A situation that is particularly linked to preconceived ideas passed on from one generation to the next: Care is expensive and painful.
During his presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron set the goal of 100% coverage for glasses, dentures and hearing aids by 2022. But according to Dr. Sophie Dartevelle, the main watchword is missing: prevention, because the French are insufficiently aware of preventive behaviours and care.
Collective prevention measures
Brushing twice a day, flossing, a balanced diet and visiting the dentist once a year are the basis of good dental hygiene.
This includes implementing preventive measures such as promoting outreach activities in all areas of life and ensuring coordination between health and medical-social professionals. The organisation also advocates “collective” measures and the president of the UFSBD cites two demands in this area: “Lowering VAT on oral hygiene products would be an important message to the public, as would the revaluation of the soda tax”.
Finally, the last line of action concerns personalised care, such as the creation of new preventive examinations at key ages, such as the M’T Dents scheme of the health insurance system, which allows children and adolescents aged 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 to have a free appointment with a dentist and treatment if necessary. This scheme has been extended to pregnant women and up to the age of 24. A “positive” system according to the president of the UFSBD, but one that she believes would benefit from being further extended.
Find more opinions on Europe Eduss on social networks:
