【Aging, safety net and fiscal crisis in Japan】No.58: 8020 Movement in Dental Care

Dental care expenses amounted to 2,829 billion yen, accounting for 6.7% of total medical expenses (42,364 billion yen) in 2015. From the viewpoint of maintaining the health of human beings, oral care is very important. It is said that if you have preserved more than 20 of your own teeth, you can be fairly satisfied with your diet. Therefore, in cooperation with the Japan Dental Association, the government has been promoting the "8020 movement" since 1989, aiming at "encouraging citizens to preserve more than 20 of their teeth at the age of 80."

According to a report released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in June 2017, the results are remarkable. As shown in Figure 1, the percentage of elderly people with more than 20 teeth is improving in all age groups. According to estimates by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the proportion of those with 20 or more of their own teeth at the age of 80 improved from 40.2% in 2011 to 51.2% in 2016.

（Source）Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare