Declaration on professional liability in dentistry :
The dental care provided to the patient is governed by a code of ethics that must not vary according to the economic framework of the practice (see note 1).
Whether the dental clinic is part of a dental chain, a professional company or the sole property of a single practitioner, responsibility towards the patient must be identical.
FEDCAR recalls that the independence of professional judgment is a deontological principle protected by the European judge (see note 2) and the European legislator (see note 3).
Confidence in the quality of dental qualifications, whether acquired in Europe or beyond, is essential to facilitate a proper recognition.
For this reason, the European Dental Regulators and Competent Authorities gathered in FEDCAR welcome the proposed decision on a “European Year of Skills 2023” and its ambition for “promoting tools and instruments for increased transparency of qualifications, including qualifications awarded outside the Union” (draft Article 3(1)(g)).
While attracting qualified third-country nationals may be seen by some as an additional way to help to address skills and labour shortages in the EU -and the 2024 report “Health at a Glance” focusses again on the health workforce crisis-, this must be done without compromising patient health safety.
“Dental regulators and educational institutions are increasingly concerned about the influence of digital platforms used by the profession for social, business, digital interaction with the public/patients and its impact on the professionalism in practice now and going forward”.
1-6% of people who needed dental care reported some unmet needs because of affordability or accessibility issues according to the survey.
But this proportion reached over 12% among people at risk of poverty. Over years this inequality has slightly increased. FEDCAR comes back to it in its manifesto.
Dental care accounts for over one-third of primary healthcare spending on average across the EU. “Top spenders include Estonia and Lithuania where spending on dental care represents 10% of the overall health budget. This share is significantly smaller in the Netherlands and Spain (3%)”.
FEDCAR is the Federation of European Dental Competent Authorities and Regulators.
We bring together European orders and bodies responsible for the regulation, the registration and the supervision of dental practitioners. We share information and good practices on the regulation of dentists and aim at promoting common positions to the EU legislator regarding initiatives and legislation at European level which affect the regulation of dental professionals.
Spring meeting in Roma, May 2022, under the chair of the FNOMCeO/Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Medici Chirurghi e degli Odontoiatri.
FEDCAR members gathered in Trogir in May 2024, along with academics from the association of dental education in Europe (ADEE) and from the dental faculty of Split, under the chair of the Croatian Dental Chamber/Hrvatska komora dental medicine.
Délégués de la FEDCAR avec les représentants invités du monde académique (ADEE) et estudiantin (EDSA), accueillis par l’Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes, Paris, novembre 2023.
About FEDCAR
FEDCAR is the Federation of Europeen Dental Competent Autorities and Regulators bringing together European chambers, councils and public bodies responsible for the regulation, the registration and the supervision of dental practitioner.
Following informal meetings since 2000, FEDCAR – under the former name of “CODE” – was formally created on the 3rd April 2004 by the Roma Declaration.
The mission of Regulators and Competent Authorities is to ensure at the domestic level that practitioners cope with their professional duty and deontology.
Contrary to associations or trades, Regulators and Competent Authorities in FEDCAR deal with any practitioner whatever is the form of his or her exercise: company, independent worker, employed worker in hospital or in university, general practitioner or specialist.
Our Objectives, Code & Position Papers
FEDCAR’s objectives are:
> To promote patient safety across Europe
> To promote a high standard of dental regulation and of dental care in Europe
> To contribute to the safe facilitation of dental professional mobility within the EU
Our Code of Conduct details this threefold concern.
The Code is available on a permanent basis on this site (see the sections at the beginning of the web-site).
We also share information and good practices on the regulation of dentists and we aim to develop opinions and statements on new initiatives and legislation at European level which affect the regulation of dental professionals.
In 2016 our position-paper regards the risks associated with the use of tooth whitening without dental supervision in Europe.
In 2017 our position-papers regard :
the use by dental regulators of the Alert Mechanism in Europe regarding sanctions adopted against a dental practitioner (in English and in French languages);
the exclusion of Public Health professions from the scope of application of draft Directive on a proportionality test before adoption of new regulation of professions, or alternatively, a more balanced approach in this draft Directive of the specificity of Public Health professions as the Legislator already did in other pieces of EU legislation (in English and in French languages).
FEDCAR’s Secretariat is located in Brussels, hosted by the French Chamber of Dentists.
FEDCAR holds two plenary meetings a year: a Spring meeting in the country which holds the Presidency and an Autumn meeting in Paris.
For further information on FEDCAR & on the conditions for joining it, please contact:
info@fedcar.eu.
Members of the FEDCAR board
Dr Hrvoje Pezo
Chair of FEDCAR
President of the Dental Chamber of Croatia / Hrvatska komora dentalne medicine
Dr Massimo Ferrero
General Secretary of FEDCAR
Former President for 2022
PRESIDENTE DELLA COMMISSIONE ALBO ODONTOIATRI DI AOSTA
Dr Oscar Castro
Chair of FEDCAR for 2023
Vice-president for 2024
President of Spanish Dental Council/Consejo Dentistas
Dr Françoise Gaillard-Fourcade
Treasurer of FEDCAR (June 2024)
Vice-President of French Dental Chamber (June 2024)
Country’s members & partners
Please choose a location on the map
Albania
Order of dentists of Albania
Dr Nikoll Deda
President
info@ussh.org.al
Hungary
Egészségügyi Engedélyezési és Közigazgatási Hivatal
(Office of Health Authorisation and Administrative Procedures)
www.eekh.huZsolt Bélteki
Head of Department (Migration and Human Resources Methodology)
belteki.zsolt@enkk.hu
Spain
Illustro consejo general de odontologos y estomatologos de EspanaDr. Miguel Angel López-Andrade Jurado & Dr. Nacho Rodríguez Ruiz
Past Chair of FEDCAR
consejo@infomed.es
“Compliance with the professional rules regarding, in particular, the independence, dignity and honor of the profession, professional secrecy and fairness towards clients and other members of the profession” is a principle that is recognized by the EU judge and that is encouraged by the EU legislator.
The FEDCAR’s members have therefore agreed with common rules of conduct that should run a dentist’s professional activity anywhere in Europe.
EU Office
Conseil national de l’ordre des chirurgiens-dentistes
Chambre française de commerce et de l’industrie
8 avenue des Arts
1210 Bruxelles – Belgium – +32 2 506 88 44
