Going without dental care

This indicator provides information on access to dental care, the costs of which generally have to be borne by patients. It reveals the percentage of people who state that they have had to forego treatment for financial reasons. 

From an integration perspective, a decrease in the percentage of people who say they have had to forego dental care for financial reasons indicates an improved situation.

Key findings: People with a migration background are three times more likely to forego dental care for financial reasons than people without such a background.

Trends over time: Between 2015 and 2020, the proportion of people who had to forego dental care for financial reasons remained stable in both the population without a migration background and the population with a migration background.

Since 2021, it has increased significantly in both groups. However, the increase is more pronounced in the population with a migration background, thereby widening the gap between the two groups. 

Major regions: In the Lake Geneva region, in Espace Mittelland and Zurich, people with a migration background are significantly more likely to have gone without dental care than those without such a background.