The French dental union Union Dentaire has called for a temporary halt to the opening of new dental centres in France, citing growing healthcare fraud. French authorities detected and stopped €723 million in healthcare fraud in 2025, with approximately €138 million of that fraud related to healthcare centres alone.

Scale and nature of dental centre fraud

A major investigation uncovered an estimated €58 million in fraudulent claims submitted to the French Assurance Maladie system through a network of dental centres. The schemes involved false invoicing, misuse of professional identities, and structures allegedly created primarily for fraudulent reimbursement activities. Since 2023, dozens of healthcare centres have been removed from the reimbursement system following findings of fraud or serious irregularities. French authorities have warned that fraud mechanisms are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with investigators now identifying entirely fictitious structures established solely to generate reimbursement claims, alongside identity theft, shell organisations, and involvement of international criminal networks.

Structural vulnerabilities in the dental centre model

Union Dentaire argues that certain dental centre models create inherent risks of abuse due to weak oversight and limited transparency. The union specifically criticises structures that formally operate as non-profit or associative organisations while functioning in a highly commercial manner. The organisation contends that legislative reforms, including the Khattabi law adopted in 2023 to strengthen supervision of healthcare centres, have not yet restored effective control over the sector. Union Dentaire is urging the French government to implement stricter verification of professional qualifications, closer monitoring of ownership and management structures, and more extensive financial inspections of existing dental centres.