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The Council of European Dentists (CED) held their General Meeting online on 20 November. A significant part of the discussion focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on dentistry in 2020. Consequently, the General Meeting adopted the following documents relevant to the profession in the context of the current public health crisis:
CED STATEMENT - Dentistry and patient safety during the COVID-19 pandemic (CED-DOC-2020-032-E/D/F)
https://cedentists.eu/component/attachments/attachments.html?id=4765
Since the beginning of the public health crisis in 2020, the provision of oral care was significantly curtailed across Europe, as most dentists were advised or mandated to provide emergency dental treatments only.
Despite the new circumstances created by COVID-19, dentistry remains a safe profession for dental patients, members of the dental team and dentists themselves. Effective personal protective equipment is applied to protect both the dental personnel and the patient, and appropriate protocols are followed. Therefore, the adopted Statement recommends a continuous provision of dental care services during the pandemic.
Patient safety is one of the foremost objectives of the profession and while ensuring that the dental team is complying with both existing and new guidelines, the lack of clear recommendations and scientific data related to dentistry could be hindering the oral and general health of all Europeans. Oral care, including not only urgent and essential dental treatment but also routine care should be considered as essential healthcare and should not be postponed until the COVID-19 pandemic is resolved, as recommended in the Statement.
CED STATEMENT - Safe and effective Dental Education during the COVID-19 pandemic (CED-DOC-2020-041-E/D/F)
https://cedentists.eu/component/attachments/attachments.html?id=4766
With this statement, the CED wishes to raise awareness regarding the disruptions to dental education caused by the ongoing public health crisis, as well as suggest measures to be taken to safeguard the shaping of the future dentists.
Dental schools are facing many challenges, from when to resume clinical activities, to how to ensure the safety of staff and students, and - most importantly - how to safeguard the continuity of clinical education. Despite dental educators’ efforts to produce an online curriculum and adhere to strict regulations and requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate students, many challenges persist.
The CED calls on European academic institutions and the dental education community to work together to provide safe, inclusive and welcoming learning and working environments for all members of our community during these challenging times.
Moreover, the CED reflects in this Statement the need for a dental curricula shift, to achieve a balance between in-person and online teaching, and to identify a set of minimum requirements in order to ensure adequate dental education.
The Council of European Dentists (CED) is a European not-for-profit association representing over 340,000 dental practitioners across Europe through 33 national dental associations and chambers in 31 European countries. Established in 1961 to advise the European Commission on matters relating to the dental profession, the CED aims to promote high standards on oral healthcare and dentistry with effective patient-safety centred professional practice, and to contribute to safeguarding the protection of public health. The CED is registered in the Transparency Register with the ID number 4885579968-84. | 
