Cho Jung-tai: Seniors Aged 65 Have an Average of 19.77 Natural Teeth, "8020 Plan" Requires More Effort
Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that seniors aged 65 currently have an average of only 19.77 natural teeth, and significant effort is needed from both the dental community and the government to achieve the "8020 Plan." The government has allocated NT$2.821 billion for oral health, increasing subsidies for oral cancer screenings.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 14:31
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 15:01 (30 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 15:05 (3 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-hsing, Taipei, 3rd) The government is promoting the "Healthy Taiwan" policy. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated today that seniors aged 65 currently have an average of only 19.77 natural teeth. He emphasized that there is still a long way to go to achieve the "8020 Plan," which aims for people to retain more than 20 natural teeth at age 80, and he looks forward to joint efforts from the dental community and the government.
Accompanied by Executive Yuan Political Commissar Chen Shih-chung, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang, and others, Cho Jung-tai attended the "2026 (115th year of the Republic) May 4th Dentist Day Celebration Event" today. In his speech, Cho Jung-tai mentioned that the National Federation of Dentists' Associations is actively promoting universal oral preventive healthcare and strengthening care for special groups. For example, the caries rate among 5-year-old children has decreased from 65.43% in 2018 to 46.3% in 2024, and the caries index for 12-year-old children has also dropped to 2.01 teeth.
Regarding natural teeth among seniors, he stated that seniors aged 65 currently have an average of only 19.77 natural teeth, and there is still a long way to go to achieve the ideal goal of "8020." He looks forward to joint efforts from the dental community and the government. The so-called "8020" is a goal that the government has been responding to in recent years, echoing the World Health Organization (WHO)'s "8020 Plan," which aims for people to retain more than 20 natural teeth at age 80.
Cho Jung-tai said he hopes to jointly develop four important values with the dental community: 1. Continuously safeguarding children's oral health; 2. Reaching remote areas, mountainous regions, and the deepest parts to care for people with disabilities and other special groups; 3. Leading new technologies to establish an infection control system, comprehensively promoting innovative therapies and precision medicine; 4. Passing on knowledge and connecting with international standards, allowing clinical practice, teaching, and research to exert greater contributions and connect Taiwan with the international community.
He emphasized that the government budget also strengthens oral health care and prevention services. This year, NT$2.821 billion has been allocated, an increase of more than NT$600 million from last year. This is to empower everyone to better care for public health. The government will also strengthen prevention and equality, raising the subsidy for oral cancer screenings to NT$250, and continuing to promote rural medical care and care for special groups.
Minister Shih Chung-liang said in his speech that to provide more comprehensive care for public oral health, the standards for establishing oral hospitals have already been announced for public comment, and the plan for rural oral services is currently soliciting proposals.
(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-hsing, Taipei, 3rd) The government is promoting the "Healthy Taiwan" policy. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated today that seniors aged 65 currently have an average of only 19.77 natural teeth. He emphasized that there is still a long way to go to achieve the "8020 Plan," which aims for people to retain more than 20 natural teeth at age 80, and he looks forward to joint efforts from the dental community and the government.
Accompanied by Executive Yuan Political Commissar Chen Shih-chung, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang, and others, Cho Jung-tai attended the "2026 (115th year of the Republic) May 4th Dentist Day Celebration Event" today. In his speech, Cho Jung-tai mentioned that the National Federation of Dentists' Associations is actively promoting universal oral preventive healthcare and strengthening care for special groups. For example, the caries rate among 5-year-old children has decreased from 65.43% in 2018 to 46.3% in 2024, and the caries index for 12-year-old children has also dropped to 2.01 teeth.
Regarding natural teeth among seniors, he stated that seniors aged 65 currently have an average of only 19.77 natural teeth, and there is still a long way to go to achieve the ideal goal of "8020." He looks forward to joint efforts from the dental community and the government. The so-called "8020" is a goal that the government has been responding to in recent years, echoing the World Health Organization (WHO)'s "8020 Plan," which aims for people to retain more than 20 natural teeth at age 80.
Cho Jung-tai said he hopes to jointly develop four important values with the dental community: 1. Continuously safeguarding children's oral health; 2. Reaching remote areas, mountainous regions, and the deepest parts to care for people with disabilities and other special groups; 3. Leading new technologies to establish an infection control system, comprehensively promoting innovative therapies and precision medicine; 4. Passing on knowledge and connecting with international standards, allowing clinical practice, teaching, and research to exert greater contributions and connect Taiwan with the international community.
He emphasized that the government budget also strengthens oral health care and prevention services. This year, NT$2.821 billion has been allocated, an increase of more than NT$600 million from last year. This is to empower everyone to better care for public health. The government will also strengthen prevention and equality, raising the subsidy for oral cancer screenings to NT$250, and continuing to promote rural medical care and care for special groups.
Minister Shih Chung-liang said in his speech that to provide more comprehensive care for public oral health, the standards for establishing oral hospitals have already been announced for public comment, and the plan for rural oral services is currently soliciting proposals.