New rules aim to ease lack of dentists in many rural parts of France

New regulations aimed at easing a lack of dentists in many areas of France are to come into force from January 1, 2025. 

Dentists will not be granted approval from state insurer Assurance Maladie to work in areas where the number of dentists is considered to be ‘very high’ or ‘high’ by the health ministry. 

However, they will be granted approval if they set up practice in an area where there is an existing lack of dentists. 

Around 65% of communes in France have a ‘very low’ number of dentists, or none at all, particularly the case in rural areas far from the country’s major cities.

The changes have been backed by France’s main dental unions – together representing 95% of dentists – but some students oppose the rules seeing them as restrictive. 

Similar rules may later be applied for doctors as France looks to fight the problem of so-called ‘medical deserts’ across the country.

Interactive tool shows dentist numbers

From January 1, dentists will still be able to take over existing practices or replace retiring practitioners in areas with already-sufficient dental coverage and maintain state reimbursement.

The new rules also do not prevent someone from opening a practice if it is completely private – it just means the practice will not receive approval from Assurance Maladie and therefore will not be able to reimburse patients for dental work. 

As a reminder, state insurance covers 60% of dental fees (as opposed to 70% for many other healthcare needs), with private insurers or optional mutuelles picking up the remaining costs.

Read more: French state to reduce the amount it contributes to your dental bills

Whilst the new rules may sound limiting, in practice less than 5% of areas will be affected, many in larger cities or high-population areas such as Paris and its suburbs, Lyon, and Anglet (the latest data for overseas departments and the south-east of France has not yet been released, but cities there will likely be included in the list). 

You can use the health ministry’s official Cartosanté interactive map to see the level of healthcare professionals near you (click on the ‘chirurgiens-dentistes option at the top of the page to see the map for dentists). 

A 2021 study by the French health ministry states there are around 62 dentists per 100,000 people in France. This is lower than the EU average (74 per 100,000), but higher than recent figures in both the US (60.8) and UK (42.3).

Read more: Dentist shortage in France ‘is unlikely to improve for a decade’

Are similar rules for doctors on the way?

A version of these regulations exist for other healthcare professionals such as midwives, nurses, and pharmacists. 

The expansion to dentists may pave the way for doctors to also be limited in where they can open practices, encouraging them to work in areas facing a lack of care.

A bill tabled on December 3, 2024, and backed by 237 MPs seeks to prevent doctors from opening a practice in an area with sufficient coverage unless an existing practitioner retires – similar to the new rule for dentists. 

The bill was put on the backburner due to the current political instability in France but should be discussed in the next year and is likely to pass, with MPs from all parties backing the original motion. 

Read more: Are there English-speaking dentists in France?

How do you find access to dentists in your part of France? Share your experiences via feedback@connexionfrance.com