General dental health

Dental health is an important part of the quality of life and well-being of individuals. The quality of the teeth can be said to have a double association with eating habits, on one hand by the food affecting dental health and on the other by tooth quality affecting dietary intake.

In the public health policy target area of eating habits, the importance of good dental health to being able to benefit from food is emphasized. In the past 25 years, dental health has improved in Sweden.

This may be due in part to the introduction of generous public dental insurance. The insurance system has, however, become less generous and, since the 1990s, patients have themselves had to pay for a larger part of the cost. Even though dental health in the population as a whole has improved considerably, significant socioeconomic differences remain. This makes it important to monitor dental care consumption and potential changes in dental health.

Results for general dental health are presented here, as well as if dental care has not been sought in the past two years despite a need and the reason that dental care was not sought.