Oral health services

Oral health care in Europe is provided by a diverse range of services. In the Nordic countries, children are eligible for public dental services, whereas adults and the majority of older people receive health care from private dental practitioners with national and local co-payment systems. In southern Europe, private dental practitioners dominate, and third-party payment is based on private insurance or costs are paid by employers. In eastern Europe and central Asia, oral health services are based on a blend of public and private systems.

Across the European Region, delivering oral health services accounts for 5–10% of total health expenditures. The use of services varies significantly by country, but in all countries the poor and disadvantaged population groups are underserved. Oral diseases are preventable; however, most oral health services in Europe are largely treatment oriented. An important challenge to Member States is to strengthen provision of prevention services and oral health promotion according to the principles outlined by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.