Denture wearers soon obsolete phenomenon?

The number of denture wearers in the Netherlands is falling continually. The share of complete denture wearers was more than halved in the period 1981-2004. In 1981 nearly 32 percent of Dutch over the age of 15 were included in this category, as against only 14 percent in 2004. The decrease was almost evenly spread across both genders. With 15 percent, women wearing complete dentures only just outnumber their male counterparts (13 percent).

Denture wearers in the population, 16 years and older

Dentures increasingly unpopular

Compared to the early 1980s, dentures have become rarer across all age groups in 2004. The decrease was very obvious in the 50-70 age group. Denture wearers under the age of forty are extremely rare. Three in every four Dutch over-80s wear dentures.
Additionally, there are various other categories of people among whom complete dentures are relatively common, e.g. the rural population, people insured under the National Health Insurance System, low-educated people and people in the low income brackets.

People wearing complete dentures by age

Population of denture wearers is ageing

In the early 1980s, four in ten denture wearers were in the over-65 category; the current ratio is six in ten. In the period 1981-2004 the group of denture wearers aged considerably. Their average age increased from 58 in 1981 to 68 in 2004.

Population of denture wearers ageing

No more visits to the dentist?

Complete-denture wearers usually no longer bother to go to the dentist. Only 9 percent of persons wearing complete dentures for longer than 2 years go to the dentist at least once a year, whereas 90 percent of people without dentures do.

Frans Frenken