Oral Health Status and Oral Health Care Model in China

Objective: To review the current oral health status and oral health care models in China in an effort to provide recommendations for the future implementation of these models. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted. The Medline, EMBASE, CNKI and Wanfang databases were searched for English and Chinese articles reporting relevant data from 1949 to the present. Data from three national oral health epidemiology surveys, Chinese government reports and national statistics yearbooks from 2011 to 2015 were also included. Results: The oral health status of preschool children were significantly improved over the past 10 years, while caries experience among 35 to 45-year-old and 65 to 74-year-old groups showed an increase in 2005. The status of poor oral hygiene was observed for both adolescent and elderly groups. The ratio of dentist-to-population in China was reported as 1: 10,000 in 2009, which was much lower than that of developed countries. The workforce of the dental service is distributed unevenly and remains insufficient for such a highly populated country. Although the need for dental treatment was perceived as high, the true demand for dental service in China was relatively low and not seen as critical. This situation clearly did not reflect so well with true oral disease conditions. There are several basic social medical insurance systems available in China, which covered most of the population's need for medical attention, but seldom covered dental treatment. Conclusion: National oral health policy in China should emphasise oral health promotion, especially in school education for children and young adults, to further strengthen daily toothbrushing, use of fluoride toothpaste and dental floss, and actively promote annual oral health examination. Oral health management should focus on cost-effective primary and secondary prevention with the long-term goal of maintaining oral health.