Malaysia Dental Care Market Analysis

Malaysia Dental Care Services Market Executive Summary

The Malaysia Dental Care Services Market size is at around $57.69 Mn in 2022 and is projected to reach $94.76 in 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period (2022-2030). Malaysia's economy regained momentum in 2021, increasing by 3.1% from a negative 5.5% in 2020. The Services and Manufacturing sectors led the way, accounting for 81.3% of the total GDP. Despite Malaysia's strong economic recovery in 2021, GDP in 2019 is still 2.6 percent below pre-pandemic levels, totaling $8.62 Bn. Malaysia devotes 3.83% of its GDP to healthcare, for a total per capita distribution of $437. Despite paying one-third of what other countries spend per capita ($12,914), Malaysia provides universal healthcare to all citizens and legal residents. The system, however, is not based on a national insurance scheme. Instead, through public institutions, the government greatly subsidizes the cost of care.

Malaysia has a two-tiered healthcare system that comprises both government-funded and private treatment. Malaysia's public healthcare system is government-funded and provided to all people. The public healthcare system is a nationwide network of government-funded hospitals, clinics, and health centers. In addition to the public healthcare system, Malaysia has a variety of private healthcare providers, such as hospitals and clinics. These providers may offer more advanced medical facilities and technologies, but also tend to be more expensive than the public healthcare system. Health insurance is not required in Malaysia; however, the government does provide a low-cost health insurance scheme called "1Care" for low-income citizens. Furthermore, many private companies provide health insurance to their employees. Malaysia also has a long history of traditional and alternative medicine, which is included in the public healthcare system. Malaysia's healthcare system includes both public and commercial choices, with a significant emphasis on traditional and complementary treatment. However, guaranteeing access to adequate healthcare for all individuals, particularly those living in rural areas or on a low income, remains a difficulty.

The advancement of dentistry in Malaysia has resulted in significant improvements in Malaysians' oral health. 12 dental public health surveys have been conducted to date in order to track changes in various oral health status criteria. Data from the first schoolchildren dental study in 1970-1971, as well as a survey in 1973, demonstrate a caries drop ranging from 27% in 6-year-olds' deciduous teeth to 57% in 12-year-olds' permanent teeth. According to different national oral health surveys (described below), Malaysians' caries prevalence has decreased over time. Periodontal disease, on the other hand, is on the rise and has become a significant Oral Health Program priority.

Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers

Offering reasonable prices and flexible payment choices can help attract cost-conscious patients. The Malaysian government has adopted a number of efforts to enhance access to dental care like the National Oral Health Plan (NOHP) 2021 – 2030, which may create opportunities for dental firms to expand their services and get additional funding. Dental firms can offer more advanced and efficient treatments to their patients as technology and materials progress, which could be another avenue for growth. As Malaysia grows in popularity as a tourist destination, dental tourism may provide an opportunity for dental firms to recruit overseas customers seeking high-quality and economical dental care.

Market Restraints

Adults in Malaysia used oral healthcare 13.2% of the time in the previous year. There is an inverse link between frequent oral healthcare use and advancing age. In this study, working-age adults (18-59 years) were more likely than the elderly (60 years) to use oral healthcare. Barriers to older oral healthcare utilization were observed, with roughly 24.8% focusing on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, with age, gender, marital status, education, income, and medical check-up in the previous 12 months as linked factors.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players

• Artius Dental
• St Tiew Dental Group
• Dentabay
• Living Well Dentistry
• Syarifah Dental Clinic
• Benchmark Health
• Dent Care
• Klidc

Healthcare Policies and Regulatory Landscape

The emergence of professional organizations, the greatest of which is the Malaysian Dental Association, has tremendously aided the development of oral healthcare (MDA). The government not only provides healthcare but also promotes health education. This program resulted in the formation of a Dental Health Education Unit at the Ministry of Health's then-Dental Division in 1979. To better represent its breadth of responsibilities in advocating health with an emphasis on oral health, the Unit was renamed Oral Health Promotion Unit in 1994. Similarly, the Dental Division justified renaming itself the Dental Health Division (OHD) in 1996 to reflect the holistic view of oral health as part of overall health. On April 1, 2016, the Oral Health Programme was restructured into three (3) departments reporting to the Principal Director of Oral Health, namely the Oral Health Policy and Strategic Planning Division, the Oral Healthcare Division, and the Oral Health Research Division.

Reimbursement Scenario

In Malaysia, the compensation scenario for dental services differs based on whether the services are supplied by public or private healthcare providers, as well as whether the patient has health insurance coverage. Dental services given by Malaysian public healthcare providers are normally covered by the government and are available to citizens at low or no cost. Private healthcare providers' dental treatments are often not funded by the government and must be paid for out of pocket or through private health insurance. Health insurance is not required in Malaysia, although the government does provide a low-cost health insurance program for low-income individuals called "1Care," which covers a limited range of dental procedures.