The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) welcomes and strongly supports the announcement by Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is examining a proposal to expand basic dental screening and treatment under the Peka B40 scheme.
The announcement, made on August 27, 2026, highlighted the importance of dentistry as part of preventive health care and the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
MDA believes this is an important and timely step towards recognising a fundamental principle: oral health is an integral part of general health.
The burden of oral disease in Malaysia remains substantial. The MOH’s National Oral Health Strategic Plan 2022–2030 reported that 94.5 per cent of Malaysian adults were affected by periodontal disease in 2020.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that oral diseases affect approximately 3.7 billion people, while untreated dental caries in permanent teeth remains the world’s most common health condition, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2021.
Dental caries and periodontal disease should therefore not be viewed simply as problems of the teeth and gums. Oral diseases are among the most widespread NCDs and share important risk factors with other major NCDs, including high sugar consumption, tobacco use and unhealthy diets.
The relationship between oral and general health is particularly evident in diabetes. WHO recognises a reciprocal relationship between diabetes and the development and progression of periodontal disease, while the FDI World Dental Federation recognises a bi-directional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease.
Against this background, dental screening and essential dental treatment are not optional health care, but integral components of preventive health care, NCD management, and overall health.
For many B40 families, however, affordability remains a barrier to seeking dental care early. Delayed treatment can allow preventable disease to progress into pain, infection, loss of teeth, and more complex and costly treatment.
The inclusion of dental care within Peka B40 would therefore represent more than an expansion of dental benefits. It would strengthen Malaysia’s broader preventive health care strategy by bringing essential oral health care closer to communities that need it most.
MDA therefore calls upon Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to give due consideration to this important proposal and to provide the necessary allocation in the upcoming Budget 2027 to enable dental screening and essential dental treatment to be incorporated into Peka B40.
Investment in oral health is an investment in the health of Malaysians. Providing access to preventive and early dental care can reduce avoidable disease, address health inequalities, and support the government’s wider efforts in tackling NCDs.
Malaysia also has an extensive network of public and private dental practitioners who can contribute towards this initiative. With an appropriate implementation and reimbursement framework, public-private collaboration can complement the MOH’s existing capacity and expand access to essential dental services for eligible B40 Malaysians.
MDA stands ready to work closely with the MOH, Ministry of Finance (MOF), and other stakeholders to develop an appropriate framework, including the scope of screening, essential treatment, referral pathways, and continuity of care, to ensure that this initiative is clinically meaningful, accessible and sustainable.
We commend the health minister for bringing this important proposal forward, and sincerely hope that it will receive the necessary support and allocation in Budget 2027 to translate this proposal into meaningful access to care for Malaysians who need it most.
This press statement was issued by MDA president Dr Chong Zhen Feng.
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