Improvement of the dental condition of populations of Council of Europe member States (odontological questions)

Recommendation 608 (1970)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 21September 1970(12thSitting) (see Doc.2810, report oftheCommittee on Social and HealthQuestions). TText adopted by the Assemblyon 21 September1970(12thSitting).

The Assembly,

1. Consideringthatinmost European countries the consumption of certain food-stuffsiscontributingto dental decay, from which as many as 80 to 98 % of childrenofschool agesuffer, and concerned by the fact that the bucco-dental health ofthepublic isnot being properly attended to owing to a shortage ofdentists;

2. Considering that most people are ill-informed of theeffects ofdentaldisease, of the preventive means available, and of the progressmade indentalresearch and practice ;

3. Considering that thefluoridationofdrinking-water is an effective and inexpensive means in helpingthereductionof the incidence of dental decay ;

4. Welcoming theeffortsalreadymade by the World Health Organisation to combat dentaldisease,

5. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a instruct the European Public Health Committeeto studytheabove-mentioned points with a view to preparing, by the end of1972,aresolution on odontological questions, embodying amongst other things :

5.1.1 a European dental educationprogrammebasedon recent research findings, to be systematically put into effectinallschools ;

5.1.2 detailed proposals regarding thesupplying,bythe appropriate ministries and other authorities in memberStates,ofinformation to the public on the hazards of dental diseaseandtheeffectiveness of measures for the prevention of dental decay andgumailments;

5.1.3 suggestions regarding steps which may be takentoobtaina ratio of dentists with academic qualifications to inhabitantsenablingdentalpractitioners to attend properly to the dental health of thepublicaccordingto the conditions prevailing in each area ;

5.1.4 detailedproposals regarding the fluoridation of drinking water intheStatesparticipating in the public health activities of the CouncilofEurope;

b include the points referredtoinsub-paragraph (a) above in the Work Programme as a matter of urgency,andmakefinancial provision, from 1971 onwards, for the work to bedoneonodontological questions by the EuropeanPublicHealthCommittee.