Catharina Klein
Research expert covering Japan
Dental medicine in Japan - statistics & facts
Dentistry in Japan became an independent field of medicine after the westernization period and subsequent reformation of the medical system in the Meiji Era (1868-1912). In the eras before Meiji, dental problems were primarily treated as part of oral medicine. The first clinic operating with a dentist license based on modern European dental medicine opened in Tokyo in 1874. After the establishment of the Medical Care Act and the Dental Practitioners Act in 1948, many universities integrated dentistry departments. The number of dentists and dental clinics further increased in the 1960s and 1970s. In the last decade, the number of dentists and treatment centers in Japan remained constant with about 68 thousand dental clinics - around 54 clinics per 100,000 inhabitants.
The dentistry profession is mainly divided into dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians. Dental hygienists assist the treatment and surgeries of patients, while dental technicians manufacture dental-related parts like prostheses and artificial teeth. Due to the stagnating or declining population in many regions in the country, an oversupply of dentistry clinics has become a problem in recent years. Consequently, an increasing number of dental clinics provide more specialized and profit-oriented services such as dental implants or teeth whitening - both not covered by insurance.
Dental clinics in the modern society
In modern Japanese society, dentistry is mainly offered through outpatient services at dental clinics. Only patients with severe symptoms that require surgeries with general anesthesia, for example, tend to be treated in general hospitals with dentistry or dental surgery departments. Unlike hospitals, which most commonly operate as medical corporations, dental clinics are often privately owned.The dentistry profession is mainly divided into dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians. Dental hygienists assist the treatment and surgeries of patients, while dental technicians manufacture dental-related parts like prostheses and artificial teeth. Due to the stagnating or declining population in many regions in the country, an oversupply of dentistry clinics has become a problem in recent years. Consequently, an increasing number of dental clinics provide more specialized and profit-oriented services such as dental implants or teeth whitening - both not covered by insurance.
