Low Awareness of Dental Care in Indonesia: A Growing Issue

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is still facing a serious dental health problem. Healthy teeth have a significant impact on nutrition, productivity, and the future development of children. The low awareness of dental care from an early age has led to the continuation of this issue.The Ministry of Health is pushing for the transformation of dental health services to be more accessible to the public. Director General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices at the Ministry of Health, Lucia Rizka Andalucia, stated in Jakarta on November 14, 2025, "Through the Best Fast Results Program (PHTC), including free health check-ups, dental and oral health components have become an important part of these services."The 2023 Indonesia Health Survey showed that about 57 percent of the population experienced dental problems in the last year. This figure emphasizes the significant burden of dental health in Indonesia and the importance of better education and preventive services.Lucia also highlighted the lack of medical personnel, including the need for about 2,775 dentists at the community health centers. This shortage directly impacts the quality and distribution of dental and oral health services and preventive dental health education. She stated, "Unfortunately, from primary health service data, about 40 percent of community health centers do not have the complete 9 health workers, and one of the largest shortages is in the need for dentists, with a shortage of 2,775 dentists at community health centers."Indonesia Dental Exhibition & Conference (IDEC) 2025 at the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) / Tempo-Aprilian Rodo Rizky Furthermore, the government ensures the availability and distribution of health supplies, including instruments and disposable materials, even to remote areas. This step aims to ensure that people throughout Indonesia can access dental health services optimally.Lucia added that from 2022 to 2024, the government has allocated around Rp700 billion for the procurement of dental health equipment, through the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP).""During the dental health equipment transactions in 2022 to 2024, we received quite a high procurement spending for dental health equipment in LKPP, around Rp700 billion," said Lucia."Through policies and the transformation of the health system in Indonesia, the Ministry of Health is pushing for the growth of a comprehensive ecosystem for dental health services, starting from the production of quality dental health equipment, the provision of quality health services, so that our society can easily and affordably access dental health services," said Lucia.The Indonesia Dental Exhibition & Conference (IDEC) 2025 at the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) brought together 250 companies from 11 countries, including China, Italy, and Korea. About half of the participants were international companies, indicating a high global interest in the Indonesian dental health market.The showcased products include digital clinical equipment, AI-based imaging systems, and internationally-standardized treatment devices. Through a series of technology exhibitions, scientific forums, and industry collaborations, IDEC 2025 is expected to strengthen the national dental health service resilience and promote the improvement of practice, research, and innovation quality in the future.APRILIAN RODO RIZKEditor's Choice: Natural Prebiotics: 9 Foods That Keep Your Gut HappyClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News