1,496 Community Health Centers in Indonesia Lack Dentists, Most in the Eastern Region

According to data from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), as of August 2025, only 85%, or 8,772 community health centers (puskesmas) in Indonesia, have dentists or dental therapists.

Meanwhile, 1,496 puskesmas still lack these professionals, with the highest number located in eastern Indonesia.

"For example, in a puskesmas with only one dentist or therapist, approximately 30% of puskesmas still lack dental health services," said the Director of Non-Communicable Diseases at Kemenkes, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, in an online press conference on Thursday (September 11, 2025).

According to her, the presence of just one dentist is insufficient to guarantee optimal service. Efforts to maintain oral health cannot be limited to puskesmas but must also be actively carried out outside, particularly through services in schools.

Below is a list of the 10 provinces with the highest shortage of dentists or dental therapists in Indonesia as of August 2025:

1. Papua Pegunungan: 165 dentists/therapists

2. Maluku: 158 dentists/therapists

3. Papua Tengah: 105 dentists/therapists

4. NTT: 97 dentists/therapists

5. Papua: 89 dentists/therapists

6. North Sumatra: 85 dentists/therapists

7. Southwest Papua: 76 dentists/therapists

8. South Papua: 71 dentists/therapists

9. North Maluku: 63 dentists/therapists

10. West Java: 63 dentists/therapists

Meanwhile, there were no reported shortages of dentists in puskesmas in DKI Jakarta and Bali during this period.