IDEC 2027 to Promote Dental Care Quality and Professional Development in Indonesia

JAKARTA, JakartaWeekly.com— The Indonesian Dental Association (PDGI) and PT Nine Koeln Indonesia will once again host the Indonesia Dental Exhibition & Conference (IDEC) on November 19–21, 2027. The biennial event is expected to help improve the quality of dental care and services in Indonesia.

Himawan Halim, chairman of the IDEC Steering Committee representing PDGI, said the event would provide a platform for stakeholders to network and exchange knowledge about dentistry.

“We want to expand access to global knowledge and innovation for dentists across Indonesia,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

He explained that the organizers had prepared a range of programs to benefit dentists in Indonesia. IDEC 2027 aims to address their needs through conferences, international speakers, and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD).

As a result, he said, the exhibition could serve as a platform for ongoing learning among dentists in Indonesia.

For dental practitioners, IDEC will provide access to the latest developments in equipment, materials, and clinical techniques, while offering opportunities to learn and exchange knowledge with fellow professionals in the dental field.

The exhibition will also provide an opportunity for industry players to build professional networks, he added. Indonesia has a large dental community and substantial demand for quality dental care, he said.

Industry players will have the opportunity to showcase the latest technologies, explore potential business partnerships, and gain a better understanding of the domestic market.

At the same event, PDGI Chairman Usman Sumantri said access to quality dental care remained a significant national challenge, with education forming part of the solution.

He said the dental profession was committed to continuous knowledge updates, as patient trust was built primarily on the quality and safety of care.

“IDEC will certainly provide a space for dentists to learn, exchange ideas, and access the latest innovations,” he said.

Challenges in Dental Care

He noted that Indonesia currently faced a substantial gap between the need for dental care and the number of people able to access such services.

According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, 57% of Indonesians required dental care. However, only around 11.6% were able to access it. “This means that of the 57%, only around 11% receive care. There is a very significant gap,” he said.

He explained that this situation partly stemmed from unequal access to dental services. Dentists were currently concentrated primarily in urban areas.

He urged the government to pay greater attention to the distribution of dentists in the future. Having a large number of dentists in major cities was not a problem if demand in those areas justified it, he said.

“In Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali, I believe the number of dentists is already sufficient. However, when I speak with colleagues in eastern Indonesia, Kalimantan, and parts of Sumatra, they tell me there is still a severe shortage of dentists,” he said.

Another factor, he added, was that some Indonesians might be reluctant to visit a dentist because of the cost. However, people could use the National Health Insurance (JKN) scheme, as many dentists already partnered with BPJS Kesehatan, Indonesia’s national health insurance administrator.

“Dental care is already accessible through the scheme. If people are worried about the cost, there is actually a solution, but it has not yet been fully utilized,” he said.

Indonesia currently has 58,154 dentists, comprising 51,970 general dentists and 6,184 dental specialists. The number is expected to increase over the coming years, given that more than 40 dental faculties have been established across the country.