On 14 July, the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe had the pleasure to meet with the EU Health Commissioner Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis.

This was an opportunity to introduce him to the Platform and to highlight our goals and vision for 2020. We also had the chance to present the work we have been doing from the State of Oral Health, 2020 Targets, and the EU Oral Health Card to our current activity around moving towards solutions through the collection of best practices. Our message focused around sustainability and the need to invest in prevention.

The Commissioner responded positively to our message, and stressed that oral health ought to be put on top of health priorities. He indeed highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder discussion, with the industry and civil society, on issues such as oral health inequalities and prevention as an investment.

Moreover, as the Commission is currently looking at country profiles of health systems in the Member States, Mr Andriukaitis said that oral health must be enshrined in these, with indicators for common risk factors management. We therefore hope to support the Commission in this area.

The Commissioner closed the meeting by saying that he sees the Platform not only as partners but his instrument to act on oral health at EU level. He stressed that oral health is a topic he is ready to take very seriously and that he is ready to lead our proposals and see how we can work together.