Cost drives unmet dental care needs across the EU

According to the data, across much of Europe, the share of citizens reporting difficulties in accessing dental treatment is close to the EU average. In Italy, Portugal, Hungary and Poland, between 5% and 8% of people reported unmet needs for dental treatment. Similar levels were reported in France, Belgium, Austria and Slovakia, where coverage is generally broad but inequalities remain. 

In Finland, Sweden, Ireland and Denmark, the figures also aligned with the European mean. Although these health systems are considered strong, rural communities and lower-income groups continue to face barriers to care. Spain, Estonia, Lithuania and Cyprus reported comparable levels of unmet needs, largely influenced by treatment costs and waiting times. 

Across the EU, the most common reasons for reporting unmet needs for dental treatment were expense (2.7%), long waiting lists (0.5%), fear (0.3%) and a lack of time (also 0.3%). In 23 of the 27 member states, expense was the single most common reason for foregoing care; in Spain and Italy, at least three-quarters of those with unmet needs cited cost as the reason. 

The data further reveals oral health inequalities when comparing citizens at risk of poverty with those who are not. Among those at risk of poverty, 13.6% reported being unable to access treatment owing to cost, distance or waiting lists, compared with 5.1% among those not at risk. This pattern was observed in every EU country. The widest gaps were recorded in Romania (43.5% vs. 12.6%) and Greece (52.8% vs. 22.7%), and there were notable differences also in Latvia and Portugal. By contrast, Germany, Malta and Poland showed the narrowest income-related gaps. 

In 2024, the level of unmet needs for dental examinations or treatment in the EU was greater than that of unmet needs for medical examinations or treatment, which stood at 3.8%.  

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