THE COST of treatment and prevention of oral diseases is heavy, according to the WHO country profile. The national expenditure on dental healthcare in 2019 was US$ 16 million in both public and private outpatient dental care facilities and clinics.
(To put that in context, I calculate that at the exchange rate of about P52 to the US dollar at the time, that was about P832 million, or less than a billion.)
The National Cash Budget in 2019 was P3.662 trillion, according to the Department of Budget and Management. The Department of Health, including PhilHealth, received P168.5 billion of this budget. The DOH budget was the sixth highest after education which received P665.1 billion, including DepEd, state colleges and universities, CHED, and TESDA; public works and highways, P465.2 billion; local government, P230.4 billion; national defense, P186.5 billion; and social welfare, P177.9 billion.
On the other hand, what was spent on dental health care, which could reduce the health burden of oral diseases, was just US$ 0.2 or 20 cents per capita, according to the WHO 2019 country profile on the Philippines.
The economic impact of oral health issues is heavy. In 2019, the total productivity losses due to oral diseases was US$ 825 million, according to the WHO country report. The losses are the combined impact of untreated caries in deciduous and permanent teeth, severe gum disease, edentulism, and other oral conditions.
The country profile also describes fluoride toothpaste as âunaffordableâ.
As we have mentioned earlier, the affordability of fluoride toothpaste is based on the number of labor days needed to buy the recommended annual supply of fluoride toothpaste for one person based on the daily wage of the lowest-skilled government worker.
Fluoride toothpaste is categorized as affordable if one day or less of labor is needed; it is unaffordable if more than one day of labor is needed to buy the annual supply for one individual.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
