Spain Invests Approximately 470 Million RMB in Expanding Public Dental Care Coverage

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health official website

DentalGoodNews | On May 26, 2026, local time, the Spanish Cabinet authorized a grant of 60.058 million euros (approximately 473 million yuan) to expand public dental care coverage under the National Health System (SNS), focusing on children and adolescents, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and patients with head, neck, and facial tumors, while gradually including individuals over 65 years old in the coverage.

According to data from the Spanish Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Sanidad), approximately 98% of dental costs in Spain are paid out-of-pocket by families, about three times the EU average. Over the past year, Spain's public dental coverage has achieved initial results: the oral coverage rate for minors aged 0 to 14 has reached 30.4%, an increase of 5.2 percentage points from the previous year; the coverage rate for pregnant women has reached 25%; and for the elderly group over 65, who began a pilot inclusion in 2025, the current initial coverage rate is approximately 3%.

Source: Spanish Ministry of Health official website

According to the official allocation plan, 10% of the total grant will be distributed based on the weight of the population over 65 in each autonomous community (Comunidades Autónomas), while the remaining 90% will be used to consolidate care for existing priority groups. The autonomous community governments and the National Institute of Health Management (INGESA) must complete the fund execution by 2028 and regularly report on project progress and coverage indicators.

It is reported that Spain's oral health plan includes free check-ups, preventive treatments, tooth extractions, emergency dental care, and oral disease screenings provided through the public health system, but treatments such as orthodontics, dental implantation, and cosmetic surgery remain excluded.

At the same time, the Spanish government has also approved 172 million euros (approximately 1.356 billion yuan) for the modernization of primary care facilities (Atención Primaria), aiming to modernize equipment, improve diagnostic capabilities, and introduce new technologies, including AI-assisted consultation tools.