Department of Health under the Ministry of Public Health, the National Health Security Office (NHSO), and the Dental Innovation Foundation under Royal Patronage join hands to increase elderly people’s access to artificial teeth and dental implants.
 
This partnership is part of the Thai government’s commemoration of the sixth-cycle birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, who will reach the age of 72 in 2024.
 

Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, Director General of the Department of Health, said that oral health problems are common among the elderly population in Thailand.
 
The department’s 2017 survey found that around 8.7% of the elderly lost all their permanent teeth.
 
Elderly people age between 60 and 74 had approximately 18 permanent teeth, which reduced to 10 when they were over 80 years old.
 
Teeth loss has impacted people’s quality of life and daily routines, said Dr Suwanchai.
 
They can’t eat properly, leading to malnutrition. Many can’t speak normally or smile confidently, affecting their mental health and social life.
 

Missing teeth may also lead to periodontal disease, raising risks to general health. For example, gum disease has been linked to increased risks of many health conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, and some types of cancer.

 
The Department of Health has collaboratedwith health networks, including the NHSO, to improve the oral health of elderly people.
 
One program under this effort is to expand senior citizens’ access to artificial teeth and dental implants as part of the commemoration of the sixth-cycle birthday anniversary of Thailand’s King Rama X.
 
A dental implant is a high-tech solution that implants an artificial tooth with a titanium screw into the jaw. This method is often used in people weaning dentures for several years and the teeth become flat with no ridges on.
 

Petchara Techakampuch, Chairman of the Board of the Dental Innovation Foundation Under Royal Patronage, said that the program’s launch was inspired by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s speech in 2003.
 
In his speech, His Majesty stated concern for people with missing teeth who couldn’t enjoy food, lost happiness, and risked health problems,   urging relevant sectors to help improve the oral health of the population.
  
His speech prompted dentists and multi-sectoral organizations to work together to provide dental implants to the elderly under the oral care program to commemorate the king — which provided full-mouth dental implants to more than 720,000 elderly people between 2005 and 2022.
 
His son, King Rama X, has promised to continue his father’s effort to improve the elderly people’s oral health.
 

The NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammatacharee said that free and affordable artificial teeth and dental implants have been included in the benefits package of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) — the government’s healthcare scheme covering the health of 47 million Thais.
 
To provide free dental implants to UCS beneficiaries, Dr Jadej said the NHSO prioritizes the elderly people needing full-mouth artificial teeth as they are most affected by missing teeth.
  

In commemoration of the King’s birthday, the NHSO will accelerate its effort to search for elderly people needing artificial teeth and dental implants — by promoting this health benefit to the public and encouraging children of the elderly people to take them to the dentists. 
 
The NHSO will also procure the materials and equipment required for dental implants and distribute them to hospitals and clinics providing dental care to the UCS beneficiaries.
 
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