"The amount allocated in the State Budget for oral health is 30 million euros, out of a total of 15 billion, that is, only 0.2%", states the Portuguese Dental Association (OMD) in a manifesto released today regarding the elections for the European Parliament on June 9.

According to the document, which aims to show "future MEPs the reality of oral health in Portugal, its needs and challenges in the European context", in Europe, spending on dental services represents an average of 5.1% of total health expenditure.

"The European Union (EU) plays an important role in the budgetary issue of its Member States, and it is up to it to issue recommendations that prioritize public investment in oral health, which has been neglected for decades", the association emphasizes.

According to data from the OMD, in Europe there are 76 dentists per 100 thousand inhabitants, an average that rises to 123 in Portugal.

On average, Europeans have 1.3 dental appointments per year, but in Portugal, almost 30% of Portuguese people have not visited the dentist in the last year or have only done so in emergency situations, the manifesto also warns, emphasizing that poor oral health is directly related to 23 systemic diseases and is the origin of five types of cancer.

Patient safety in the European area is another of the areas covered in the manifesto, with the association warning about the mobility of professionals in the European Union from the perspectives of migration and occasional travel.

In the case of skills and qualifications obtained outside the EU, the OMD advocates the creation of "legislation and mechanisms that facilitate and provide greater transparency to the process of recognizing these qualifications, which, in the case of non-EU citizens, must meet the European requirements" provided for in the Community directive.

As for occasional travel for training or clinical practice by professionals not registered in Portugal, the association draws attention to the consequent "increased risks to the health of Portuguese patients" due to the impossibility of monitoring this activity.

"Therefore, it is urgent to create guidelines regarding the concepts of temporary and occasional cross-border service", it argues.

Regarding education, the manifesto advocates that, in the common market, it should be ensured that education guarantees "across the board a minimum of pre-clinical and clinical theoretical and practical training, as a fundamental key to patient safety", and that it is common to all countries.

In Portugal, on December 31, 2022, there were 2,077 dentists (14% of the total number of registered dentists) with their registration suspended by the association, 53.1% of whom indicated that they were practicing the profession abroad.

Around 373 million European voters are called to vote for the European Parliament between June 6 and 9. In Portugal, the vote is on the 9th.

720 MEPs will be elected, 21 of whom are Portuguese.

A total of 17 parties and coalitions are running in the elections: AD, PS, Chega, IL, BE, CDU, Livre, PAN, ADN, MAS, Ergue-te, Nova Direita, Volt Portugal, RIR, Nós Cidadãos, MPT and PTP.

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