Korean initiatives for noncommunicable and periodontal diseases.

Abstract

chronic diseases are incurring a substantial socioeconomic burden. In Korea, as of 2020, the medical expenses for patients with diabetes and hypertension were 2.51 and 3.35 billion dollars, respectively, and the death rate due to those diseases was also on the rise compared to the previous year. For periodontal disease, which shares common risk factors with noncommunicable diseases, the prevalence in 2018 was 30.6%, and 1 out of 3 economically active members of the population suffered from periodontal disease. Data from the National Health Insurance Service showed that the rate of increase in the number of patients and treatment costs for periodontal disease was about 4 times higher than the increase in the number of patients and treatment costs for other chronic diseases. However, the general oral examination rate is only 26%, and this rate tends to decrease significantly with age. To address this problem, the Korean Dental Association (KDA) presented policy proposals to the government, such as the introduction of panoramic radiography during medical checkups at a life-transition period.