KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry (MoH) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with leading dental manufacturing company, Straumann Group Sdn. Bhd. (Straumann Group) to provide dental implant treatments for Malaysians.

The agreement will especially benefit the B40 group with Straumann Group to contribute 3,000 complete dental implant packages worth more than RM10 million to those in need.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the initiative will benefit patients who meet the criteria and it will be revealed soon.

"Oral health is well-being that encompasses a variety of important functions including breathing, nutrition, speech, smiling and social life. 

"Having optimal oral health will add value to the comfort and confidence of the individual to achieve the best capacity as well as engagement with the surrounding community," he said in a statement today.

The National Oral Health Survey for Adults in the year 2010 showed that one in four adults in Malaysia uses a dental prosthesis due to tooth loss.

Overall, 45.9 percent of those who still have teeth need a prosthesis to replace a missing tooth while one of three toothless adults also need a prosthesis, he said.

"Therefore, many people still need treatment for the replacement of lost teeth to restore the main functions of the mouth," he added.

He said that dental implants are replacement treatments made from biochemical material such as titanium.

He said it would not have any side effects on the patient's body and bones while it can stick directly to the surface of this titanium material.

Furthermore, dental implants do not interfere with nearby teeth and are easier to clean compared to other fixed prostheses.

However, he said that only cases that meet the indications can be given this dental implant treatment.

The treatment would also need to be monitored closely as studies showed that 19 to 65 per cent of patients who receive dental implant treatment get mucositis, while one to 47 per cent get inflammatory diseases (peri-implantitis) if they fail to be monitored regularly.

"In the Health Ministry, this treatment is performed by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Specialist, Periodontist Specialist and Restorative Specialist.

"The ministry hopes that this collaboration will increase access to dental implant services and further pave the way for the delivery of comprehensive dental health services to Malaysian families," he said.