More than 30% of the dental prosthetics used in France now come from China, according to the National Employers’ Union of Dental Prosthetists (UNPPD), which raised the alarm on France Inter on Tuesday, warning that the shift is coming at the expense of French-made products.
The union points to a stark regulatory imbalance: while French laboratories face strict certification requirements over the composition of their prosthetics, imported products are subject to far fewer checks. The composition of Chinese-made prosthetics therefore raises serious questions, the union argues—especially since these devices can be reimbursed by the national health insurance system under the “100% Santé” scheme.
A Double Standard on Inspections
“In France, we are inspected by the medicines safety agency, which can come into our laboratory and check our drawers to see whether our pots of ceramic resin comply with the law—whereas they will never go to China to open the drawers of a Chinese laboratory,” said Laurent Munerot, president of the UNPPD.
Price Caps Drive Dentists Abroad
Since 2021, certain dental procedures have been subject to price ceilings so that patients can receive care fully reimbursed by the national health insurance system. To protect their margins, dental surgeons are increasingly turning to cheaper prosthetics, explained Patrick Soléra, president of the Federation of Liberal Dental Unions.
“In concrete terms, there are only two solutions: either turn to a foreign laboratory, or ask your French laboratory to make a financial effort on its rates so it can assume its role,” he said. But the second option is reaching its limits. “Will French laboratories be able to lower their prices, for a prosthetist who has been a very good client for years?” Soléra asked. “It is becoming very complicated,” he acknowledged.
Domestic Labs Closing, Imports Set to Double
Nearly 1,000 French dental prosthetics laboratories have already shut down. Without measures to protect domestic production, half of the dental prosthetics used in France could be imported from China by 2030, the union warns.
