Six million people in Portugal are missing teeth, study finds

According to the Oral Health Barometer 2023, published this Friday, six out of every ten people in Portugal are missing at least one natural tooth, and more than half do not have missing teeth replaced.

Data from the 8th edition of the Oral Health Barometer 2023 by the Order of Dentists (OMD) shows that only 41.1% of 1,102 respondents aged 15 years and over have intact teeth excluding wisdom teeth, although this figure represents a positive evolution compared to previous years.

According to the study, which Lusa had access to, 22.8% of respondents were missing six or more teeth, a number considered the benchmark for the impact on chewing quality and oral health, and of these, 18.2% were missing. there is nothing to replace them with, which is 1.8 percentage points (pp) more compared to 2022, but 5.6 pp. less compared to 2018.

“Although about 59% are missing at least one natural tooth, this is a significant decline from the last barometer, minus 8.8 percentage points,” the barometer said, adding that 6.2% of respondents were missing all their teeth. a value identical to that of 2022 (6.4%).

For OMD President Miguel Pavan, these figures are “worrying” and “demonstrate the urgency of implementing measures long ago introduced by the Order, such as the creation of a prosthetic dentist check and the creation of a dedicated career in the SNS. able to attract these professionals.”

The barometer, which was published this Friday at the OMD congress, shows that 64.4% of Portuguese people go to the dentist at least once a year, fewer percentage points than in 2022, in contrast to what has happened in recent years.

It also indicates that the number of Portuguese who never visit the dentist (10.3%) or only do so in emergency situations (30.8%) increased by 2.4 percentage points, noting that of those those who do not have six or more natural teeth, only 46.2% go to an appointment at least once a year, which is 0.3 p.p. more than in 2022.

“Most older people say they have never been to the dentist. Among Portuguese aged 65 and over, 9.9% have never been,” the study says, highlighting that “generally, the lower the level of education, the lower the level of education.” regularity” go to the meeting.

When analyzed by region, Greater Lisbon (10.3%) and Litoral Centro (8.2%) are the places where more people say they have never been to the dentist, compared to Greater Porto ( 0.9%), North Coast (0.5%) and Madeira (0%).

For children under six who have never been to the dentist, the percentage fell for the second year in a row. In 2021 it was 73.4%, in 2022 it rose to 65.2%, and this year it dropped to 53.5%.

The weight of respondents who stated that they do not need to see a dentist increased to 71.3% (21.1 percentage points more compared to 2022), returning to values ​​identical to those of the 2021 edition. In turn , the number of those who say there is no money for admission (24.4%) decreased by 5.1 percentage points.

According to the Barometer, only 2% of the population visit a dentist through the NHS or Check Dentist.

The vast majority (98%) turn to the private sector through insurance and health plans or health care subsystems.

“One of the reasons for this difference is that 66.8% of the population are unaware that the NHS provides dental services, a figure which has fallen significantly from 55.9% in 2022,” he highlights. in the report. application to the OMD.

Miguel Pavao in a statement says that “dentistry is presented as the flagship of the health sector, but the truth is that there is no oral health strategy.”

“Suffice it to say that the amount allocated in the state budget for oral hygiene is 30 million euros, for a total of 15 billion,” he notes.

In terms of oral hygiene habits, the barometer shows that 78.8% of the population guarantee to brush their teeth at least twice a day, an increase of 5.7 percentage points. more than in 2022.