Dr. Jane Renehan (Ireland) Chair
In the course of 2020, the Working Group updated its mandate and continued its activity on relevant issues related to medical devices and dental materials.
The Working Group was invested in the topic of dental amalgam, similarly to previous years. A subgroup dedicated to dental amalgam participated in the European Commission’s Final stakeholder workshop: Assessment of the feasibility of phasing-out dental amalgam. Following the publication of the final report on the Feasibility of Phasing-out Dental Amalgam by the Deloitte consultancy, as well as a report by the European Commission, the Working Group replied to both reports.
The members prepared a CED position on dental implants, recommending the implant card as a best practice.
On the matter of cobalt, the Working Group has been reaching out to external stakeholders and has gathered scientific evidence internally to continue exploring the topic.
Other topics of interest were endocrine disrupters and particularly, the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, titanium dioxide and phthalates.
Dr. Piret Väli (Estonia) Chair - until Nov 2020
Alexander Tolmeijer (Netherlands) Chair - since Nov 2020
Promotion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and exploitation of the Big Data potential have been identified as top priorities by the current European Parliament and European Commission. In line with the active agenda of the European Institutions on these topics, the Working Group prepared the CED position on AI, covering the impact of AI on dentistry and healthcare and replied to the consultation on the Commission White Paper on the topic.
In addition, the WG has participated in consultations on the Digital Services Act and on Health Data in the light of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), recommending the development of a set of quality criteria for online platforms reviewing dentists and stressing the need to grant dentists access to relevant health-related information.
In 2021, the WG will continue its work on the eHealth Competency model followed by a set of necessary digital skills specific to dentists, under the chairmanship on Dr. Alexander Tolmeijer, approved in November 2020 as the new Chair of the WG eHealth.
Prof. Dr. Paulo Melo (Portugal) Chair
The Working Group focused its work on the CED Resolution on the Annex V.3/5.3.1. of the Professional Qualifications Directive. The Working Group replied to the study based on the CED call for update of the subjects lists for dental professionals, to make sure that European dental curricula correspond to the reality and contribute to safeguarding the future of the profession.
Due to the imminent threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the European dental education, the Working Group prepared a statement on the minimum requirements for dental education in times of COVID-19.
The Working Group continued the collaboration with BTF Internal Market on workforce challenges and on potential solutions, focusing on digital skills, public health threats, bureaucracy, corporate dentistry, undergraduate education and attractiveness of the profession.
In 2021, the work will continue focusing on workforce challenges and other education-related issues.
Dr. Henk Donker (Netherlands) Chair
In 2020 the Working Group updated its mandate after merging with the Board Task Force Antibiotics in Dentistry and added to its working agenda the topic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
With the launch of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the Working Group was involved in the topic of cancer following the European Parliament Special Committee on Cancer work and participated in the HPV Action Network within the European Cancer Organisation, highlighting the urgency of oral cancer and dentists’ involvement in its early diagnosis.
On the topic of vaccination, the Working Group reflected CED’s work in the EU Coalition for Vaccination advocacy campaign. Additionally, the CED co-signed the Coalition’s Manifesto on vaccination to encourage healthcare professionals to get vaccinated and highlight the key role played by healthcare professionals in the vaccination roll out, as builders of public trust.
In 2021, the Working Group will be focusing on oral health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside ageing, AMR and non-communicable diseases.
Prof. Dr. John Tzoutzas (Greece) Chair
The Working Group updated the CED Resolution on Patient Safety emphasising that only a properly educated, fully qualified dentists can ensure safe dental care.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the CED has been sending regular mailings to the Members with the most relevant information on the outbreak. The Working Group has provided support to the CED response to the draft European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Technical Report ‘COVID-19 infection prevention and control for primary care, including general practitioner practices, dental clinics and pharmacy settings. Moreover, the Working Group was active in preparing a political statement on COVID-19, dentistry and patient safety, expressing the CED concerns regarding the potential hindering of oral and general health of all Europeans and recommending the continuity of dental care services provision during the pandemic.
In the following months, the Working Group will continue working on the public health crisis and monitoring new European initiatives, such as the Green Deal.