Doctors Reveal 3 Dental Problems Often Experienced by Families in Indonesia

Illustration of dental problems. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Doctor graduate from the University of Indonesia drg. Yulita Bong revealed that there are three dental health problems that are most often experienced by families in Indonesia based on clinical practice data throughout 2025.

"Currently, many new patients come after complaining, even though preventive and routine treatments play an important role in preventing more severe conditions. On the other hand, concerns about unpredictable costs are still an obstacle for some people," said Yulita as quoted by ANTARA.

The doctor who is now the CEO of Audy Dental said that the three problems are the disharmony of tooth arrangement (malocclusion), cavities in children and adults, and low preventive and routine dental care habits.

This finding, he said, reflects that although public awareness has begun to increase, dental health is still often treated as a delayed need until complaints arise.

He said that the findings also strengthened the data from the Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) 2023 which noted that 57 percent of people aged 3 years and above had dental and oral problems, but only 11.2 percent sought treatment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), uncertainty about the price of dental care is one of the reasons people feel reluctant to go to the dentist.

"Compared to 2024, we also recorded an increase of more than 25 percent in cases of tooth alignment discordance and about 10 percent in cases of cavities," he said.

Yulita said that one of the efforts to encourage behavioral changes in the community to make dental care a part of a healthy lifestyle is to use the one-stop dental clinic approach, dentist-based services and specialist doctors, as well as a comfortable and transparent treatment experience at the clinic.

Dental specialist graduate of the University of Indonesia drg. Eka Sabaty Shofiyah, Sp.KGA added that early dental care is very important because the condition of the baby teeth will affect the growth of permanent teeth, jaw structure, and child dental care habits in the future.

"If left unchecked, dental problems from childhood are not only at risk of causing infections and pain, but also have an impact on a child's confidence when they grow up," said Eka.

Eka emphasized that maintaining dental health is not only important for children, but also for adults. Because dental health is not only related to oral function, but also has an impact on overall body health and a person's self-confidence.

Dental problems that are left untreated can affect the quality of eating, speaking, and social interaction, while a healthy smile plays a big role in building confidence at various stages of life.

"Therefore, routine dental care such as scaling, topical fluoride, fissure sealant is an important step to maintain health and prevent cavities as an investment for long-term health and quality of life," he said.