Parliament Research Center: 55% of Iranians Over 65 Have Lost All Their Teeth

The Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has reported on the public health of Iranians, stating that according to official statistics, 55% of individuals over 65 years old have lost all their teeth. The report published on Tuesday, March 8, in the newspaper 'Ham Mihan' indicates that even individuals aged 30 to 40 have lost an average of 12 to 13 teeth. Statistics released by the parliamentary research arm show that each Iranian has at least 6 decayed teeth, and over 80% of children aged 5 to 6 have an average of 5 decayed, extracted, or filled primary teeth. This research, conducted by the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 2016, states that the national average of decayed, lost, and filled teeth in 6 and 12-year-old children is 84.5 and 84.1, respectively. Some experts believe that one of the main reasons for this issue is the sharp increase in prices over the past decade, which has led to a decrease in the consumption of many essential items among the public, with many preferring tooth extraction over the cost of filling. In this regard, the newspaper 'Ebtekar' reported on October 17 of this year: 'In Iran, the situation has become such that about 70% of the population endures decayed teeth until they eventually extract them without hope for improvement.' Meanwhile, 'Hamshahri Online' reported on May 30: 'Dentists say that besides the high cost of dental services in the country, lack of education and public awareness regarding dental care also contributes to tooth decay and ultimately tooth loss.' Hamshahri Online quoted Ali Tajernia, head of the Iranian Dental Association, stating: 'Because the attitude towards oral health in Iran is not like that of other diseases—neither from the public nor the government—the situation is progressing in a way that despite the high number of dentists and dental centers in the country and the increased public culture in this area, the rates of decayed, extracted, and lost teeth have not changed or decreased.' He also pointed out that 'the cost of dental services is high,' adding: 'To access these services, either people must have adequate financial capability or the government must assist.' Mr. Tajernia added: 'Currently, the economy of the people is facing serious challenges, and dental treatments have practically been removed from the service basket of the middle class, except for those who have appropriate supplementary insurance or those employed in government institutions that receive support from the government.'