2020 was a challenging year for us all, both professionally and personally. It marked the year of the pandemic, of uncertainty and insecurity. The COVID-19 public health crisis continues to have devastating health, social and economic consequences, affecting the delivery of health services, more than a year after the emergence of the first cases.
Dentistry was directly affected by the pandemic. At its very start, dental practices faced restrictions on their functioning and in a few European countries dental offices were closed. After a few months during which the provision of dental care was reduced to urgent care, the use of appropriate protective equipment and relevant safety protocols allowed most European dentists to resume most oral care. Since the first days of the pandemic, dentists, alongside other healthcare professionals, were on the front lines of COVID-19, striving to ensure that their patients receive safe and high-quality care.
I was personally involved in the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Codogno, Italy. The direct experience, as President of the local Dental Chamber in Lodi, in organising dentists in the so-called “red zone” was helpful in foreseeing similar scenarios in other EU countries.
As expected, all areas of the CED work were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. With the cancelation of physical events and meetings, we had to shift our activities to the digital realm, by organizing online working level meetings, webinars, and surveys. We took on a coordinating role and collected and shared national experiences of dentists in adjusting to COVID-19. We worked with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to ensure that their guidance for dental practices reflected best available science and practical experience of European dentists. Our concerted efforts allowed us to hold an online General Meeting, paramount for the continuity of the CED policy work. Despite the omnipresence of COVID-19, we continued our work on other topics of relevance for dentists, such as medical devices and dental materials, antimicrobial resistance, digital health, vaccination, patient safety, education, health promotion and disease prevention.
This year, we witnessed the work of European institutions being influenced by the public health crisis. To help repair the economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU leaders agreed on a recovery plan that will be the largest stimulus package ever financed through the EU budget. A total of €1.8 trillion will aim at rebuilding a post-COVID-19 Europe. Moreover, the European Commission is continuously coordinating a common European response to the public health crisis. In its response to the coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission is taking resolute actions to reinforce the public health sectors and mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic. The implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the new EU4Health Programme, the European Health Union, the Just Transition Fund, the Green Deal and the Digital Europe Programme, are steps taken towards better preparedness, recovery, and resilience in a greener, more digital, and more resilient Europe.
I look back to 2020 with great admiration for the hard work of the numerous actors driving CED forward – members, experts active in our working groups and task forces, the Board of Directors, and the secretariat. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge from many points of view. Nonetheless, it can also be seen as an opportunity to shift dentistry towards a less invasive and more preventive approach, one in which the dental teams work in partnership to tackle the common risks for oral and other major non-communicable diseases. I am confident that European dentists will continue to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in 2021 in order to ensure that the profession continues to evolve and continues to safeguard the health and safety of our patients.
Dr. Marco Landi
President (Italy)
