- Reduced dental fillings observed in first-grade students at AOK North East.
As per AOK Nordost's findings, the dental health of Brandenburg's children is showing significant improvement: In 2019, 27% of six-year-old AOK-covered kids in Brandenburg needed at least one filling, but this figure decreased to 21% by 2023. AOK Nordost credits this improvement to enhanced preventive care in kindergartens and increased efforts by dentists.
Furthermore, the health insurer points out an increase in parents of children aged zero to five opting for early detection check-ups: In 2019, 15% of AOK-covered kids in this age group in Brandenburg underwent such exams, compared to 31% in 2013. Health insurers provide six preventive examinations before a child starts school.
However, AOK Nordost also highlights that many children still skip or attend these check-ups irregularly. In 2023, more than half of AOK-covered kids up to preschool age in Brandenburg had not seen a dentist. AOK Nordost urges tooth brushing to become compulsory in kindergartens.
AOK Nordost studied data from 24,133 AOK-covered children aged zero to six in Brandenburg. According to their own data, they are the largest health insurer in Brandenburg, with one in four residents insured by them.
AOK Nordost expresses satisfaction with the AOK-covered children's dental health improvements, as the use of fillings decreased from 27% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. Regarding preventive care, AOK considers 'AOK-OK' (AOK's abbreviation for all is well), as the number of six-year-olds having at least one filling significantly reduced.
