Statistics show that Romanians continue to avoid dental offices. At the same time, the figures indicate that brushing teeth is not a habit among people, and this phenomenon is worrying, claim dentists.
Patient at dentist SOURCE Shutterstock
Statistics provided by the National Institute of Statistics show that 63% of Romanians do not brush their teeth. The same statistics show that only 17% of the population enters a dental office for preventive purposes. This happens despite the fact that in 2021 there were, at the national level, 16,177 somatological medical offices. Of this total, only 2,343 operated in rural areas, most of them being private.
High prices scare Romanians
In addition to the fact that in many rural towns there are no dental offices, there are also other factors that cause Romanians to never go to the dentist. It's about the high prices they encounter when they enter a dental office.
“The financial aspect is very important. Thus, considering the standard of living in rural areas, especially in the Moldova area, where we know that living is more difficult, it is not surprising that people do not have access to this type of service. Often, to go to the city, to a dental office requires too much financial effort. Thus, people choose not to take into account certain aspects related to oral health. At the same time, it is also about the well-known fear of the dentist. People associate dentistry with pain. But in recent years, things have changed, thanks to technology, and the procedures are no longer so painful“, stated Andrei Jianu, dentist.
Romanians from the diaspora, the favorite clients of Romanian dentists
Many of those who can afford to go to the dentist are Romanians from the diaspora. Doctors claim that there are people who return to the country specifically to benefit from certain treatments, which are much more expensive abroad.
“We have many patients who come from abroad to be treated at home. We are talking about Romanians from the diaspora, who resort to this method because dental services in the countries where they live are much more expensive than here. We have patients who come on vacation, they stay in the country for two or three months, to complete a treatment“, added the dentist.
