MORE DENTISTRY PERSONNEL FOR GREATER REDUCTION OF EDENTULISM?: A GLOBAL SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

Abstract: Objective: Edentulism is the oral disease responsible for the highest number of Years Lived with Disability worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate whether the percentage of change (PC) in the dentistry personnel density per 10 000 population (DPD) is associated with the PC in the age-standardized prevalence per 100 000 population (AEP) of edentulism globally, from 1990 to 2019, and whether development status modifies this relationship. Methods: Ecological study using secondary data from the Global Burden of Disease study for 204 countries/territories. The association between the variables of interest was assesed using a simple linear regression model, stratified by sociodemographic index (SDI). Results: Globally, for every 1-unit increase in the PC of DPD during the study period, the PC in AEP of edentulism decreased by 0.01 (p=0.02). When analyzed by SDI, this association was only maintained in the Low SDI quintile (β=-0.03; p<0.001) and Low-middle SDI quintile (β=-0.02; p=0.004). Conclusions: Edentulism generally represents the endpoint of a lifelong history of oral diseases, largely preventable with cost-effective interventions. It primarily results from weak, unavailable or unaffordable oral healthcare services. Although the increase in global DPD is associated with a decrease in edentulism, a higher number of healthcare workers alone will not solve this unacceptable health condition unless they are properly trained and integrated into primary healthcare models focused on addressing the oral health needs of the population. In contexts with greater development status, there is also greater commercial pressure and incentives promoting interventionist and high-technology approaches; this may lead to higher risk of unnecessary or inappropriate care, driven by profit and consumerism, exacerbating the problem.