DYM Long-term Non-tiring Dental Chair shares with you Indonesia’s population and eating habits, GDP, the current situation of the dental industry and development prospects

I. Indonesia’s population and eating habits

With a total population of about 283 million, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. The population structure is dominated by young groups, with the working-age population aged 15-64 accounting for about 70%, but the aging trend is gradually emerging, and the population over 65 is expected to exceed 15% by 2030. The fertility rate continues to decline (there will be only 28,900 citizen babies in 2023), and the population distribution is highly concentrated in Java (accounting for 54%). Medical resources are dense in large cities such as Jakarta, while medical coverage is insufficient in remote islands (such as Papua).

Eating habits

The Indonesian diet is dominated by high-sugar, high-viscosity foods, such as pineapple tarts, palm sugar drinks and fried snacks, which leads to a high rate of dental caries. Data from 2023 show that the prevalence of dental caries among preschool children aged 3-6 is 63.4%, the average number of dental caries among 12-year-old children is 1.8, and the poorest group has 3.53. In addition, the dietary patterns during Ramadan (such as concentrated consumption of high-sugar foods at night) exacerbate oral health problems. Although the government promotes the “Healthy SG” plan to encourage a low-sugar diet, there will be limited improvement in the short term, and the demand for teeth whitening, implant restoration, etc. will continue to grow.

2. Indonesia’s GDP and economic environment

In 2024, Indonesia’s real GDP will reach US$1.54 trillion, ranking first in ASEAN, and its per capita GDP will be about US$5,440. The steady economic growth (4.87% growth in Q1 2025) and the expansion of the middle class (accounting for 40% of the population) will drive the upgrading of dental consumption, and the demand for high-end services such as dental implants and invisible corrections will increase by an average of 12% per year. However, the industry faces cost pressures: 90% of dental equipment relies on imports, and digital imaging equipment (such as CBCT machines) and implant systems are expensive, pushing up clinic operating costs. The government indirectly promotes the development of the industry through tax incentives (such as the 2024 fiscal budget allows a maximum tax deduction of RM1,000 for dental treatment expenses) and grant support (such as RM10 million to purchase 3D printers to produce dentures).

3. Dental clinics and oral hospitals in Indonesia

Number of oral clinics in Indonesia

There are 6,386 dental clinics in Indonesia, of which private clinics dominate (about 85%), and chain groups such as Q&M Dental have more than 70 branches across the country. The public system is not well covered, with only 99 dental hospitals and 690 clinics, which mainly provide basic treatments (such as tooth extraction and filling), and high-end services rely on private institutions.

The largest dental hospital in Indonesia

Public sector: The University of Indonesia Dental Hospital is the country’s largest public dental institution, affiliated to the University of Indonesia. It provides a full range of services from basic treatment to maxillofacial surgery, and undertakes dental education and scientific research tasks.

Private sector: Siloam Hospitals Group is the largest private medical group in Indonesia. All of its 28 hospitals have dental centers, among which Siloam Hospitals Lippo Village is equipped with advanced digital implant and orthodontic equipment, attracting a large number of international patients.

IV. Import and market of dental equipment

Import volume and types

Indonesia’s dependence on imports of dental equipment is as high as 90%, with a market size of approximately US$450 million in 2024 and an estimated compound annual growth rate of 6.5% from 2024 to 2030. Implant-related devices (such as implant systems, digital navigation equipment) and digital imaging equipment (such as CBCT machines, oral scanners) are the main imported categories, accounting for 53% of the total imports. High-end equipment from Straumann of Switzerland and Kavo of Germany occupy an important market share, while Chinese companies are gradually expanding their influence through cost-effective products (such as 3D printing equipment).

The most imported equipment

The most imported dental equipment includes digital imaging equipment (such as CBCT machines) and dental implant systems, dental chairs, dental mobile phones, LED light curing machines, air compressors, dental negative pressure machines, sewage treatment equipment, oral endoscopes and other dental equipment. Data from 2024 shows that the import of dental implant-related equipment accounts for a significant proportion, reflecting the surge in demand for implant treatment in an aging society. In addition, high-end equipment such as laser therapy devices and CAD/CAM restoration systems also rely on imports, mainly from the United States, Japan, Germany, China, etc.

V. Prospects for the development of Indonesian dentistry

Technological innovation: Indonesia is rapidly developing in the field of digital dentistry, such as 3D printing implants, AI-assisted diagnosis systems, etc., to promote the improvement of treatment accuracy. The Indonesian International Dental Exhibition (IDEC) in 2025 attracted 250 exhibitors to showcase the latest technologies and equipment.

International medical tourism: As a medical center in Southeast Asia, Indonesia attracts patients from Malaysia, Singapore and other countries, and there is a strong demand for high-end services such as dental implants and invisible orthodontics. Data from 2024 shows that female dentists account for 87.5%, further improving the level of service refinement.

Policy support: The government promotes the “Healthy SG” program to strengthen preventive care, and encourages businesses to provide healthy meals through subsidies, indirectly promoting the improvement of oral health awareness. Updated regulations in 2024 require all public health centers to provide basic dental services, covering more than 500 primary medical institutions.

Challenges

Market competition: There is an oversupply of clinics (6,386 in 2024), but the regular check-up rate is low (only 10.2%), resulting in fierce price competition.

Cost pressure: The high cost of imported equipment and materials, coupled with rising labor costs (dentists earn about 20,000 Singapore dollars a month), some small clinics face profit compression.

Regional differences: Urban and rural resources are unevenly distributed. There are 15.2 clinics per 100,000 people in large cities such as Jakarta, while there are only 0.3 clinics in remote islands (such as Papua). The density of dentists in rural areas is 1:17,105, which is much lower than that in cities.

Future trends in Indonesian dentistry

Personalized medicine: Combine genetic testing and digital technology to provide customized treatment plans, such as precision implants and invisible corrections.

Industry integration: Small clinics may improve their competitiveness through chain operations or mergers and acquisitions. For example, Q&M Dental plans to double its size in the next 3-5 years.

International cooperation: Participate in the “Belt and Road” oral health cooperation, expand the Southeast Asian market, and export technology and services. For example, Indonesia’s implant exports continue to grow, ranking second in the global market share.

Indonesia is a country in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The trade between the two countries is frequent and convenient, so the development of Indonesia’s dental industry cannot be separated from the assistance of Chinese dental equipment. DYM is located in the Foshan dental equipment production base. It has been established for 18 years and is a one-stop manufacturing company for dental equipment. Its products include dental chairs, dental implant chairs, LED light curing machines, oral endoscopes, dental mobile phones, machine room equipment compressors, negative pressure machines, sewage treatment machines and other dental equipment. Products such as cleaning and oiling machines and mobile phone lubricants for maintaining mobile phones solve the pain point of Indonesia’s dental industry’s need for one-stop supply. The same brand’s after-sales service is more convenient. One-stop supply has more cost advantages than European, American, Japanese and Korean dental equipment, allowing local dental clinics to afford high-quality dental equipment, improve the comfort of oral patients, and improve the treatment efficiency of dentists. For technical services for dental equipment, our factory can organize engineering personnel to go to Indonesia for unified technical dispatch and on-site hand-to-hand communication. DYM Medical has passed the internationally certified ISO9001 ISO13485 CE certification, so it gives enough confidence in quality and enough professionalism in technology.

In 2025, our team went to Indonesia to participate in a local dental exhibition. While displaying the new dental equipment for 2025, we also communicated with many dental equipment dealers, agents, and dentists on site. We combined the local dental market development needs and dentists’ habits to develop an overall solution suitable for Indonesia. I believe that more friends in the Indonesian dental market will like DYM