Evaluation of the legal and policy environment for primary oral health care

Abstract

Background: Dental caries is a preventable disease influenced by individual behavior, dietary habits, lifestyle, and health literacy. According to data from preventive health screenings initiated in Mongolia in 2022, dental caries accounted for 77.7% of 258,008 suspected conditions identified among children aged 0–17 years. Reducing the prevalence and severity of dental caries in children requires strengthening primary health care systems that emphasize the prevention and early detection of oral diseases and the provision of oral health education, rather than focusing solely on the treatment of existing dental caries. Aim: To assess the policy environment and implementation context of oral health care within primary health care in Mongolia and to identify key challenges and priority areas for improvement. Materials and Methods: A policy document review was conducted. The study included legal and policy documents governing primary health care as of 2026, together with relevant statistical data on oral diseases, health workforce, and financing. The collected information was categorized into key domains and synthesized and compared using an analytical matrix. Results: The current policy environment for primary health care in Mongolia does not yet provide all the conditions necessary to deliver equitable and prevention-oriented oral health services to the population. In particular, residents of soums and villages have limited access through their local health facilities to comprehensive services for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of oral and maxillofacial conditions. The inclusion of prevention, early detection, and primary oral health care within the “Healthy Teeth” initiative represents a positive policy development; however, mechanisms to ensure effective implementation remain insufÏcient. Although the Health Insurance Fund covers the costs of selected dental treatments for children and pregnant women, oral health care remains costly for other age groups, creating a considerable financial burden and limiting access to necessary services. Conclusion: Reducing the burden of oral and maxillofacial diseases in Mongolia requires a transition from a treatment-oriented system toward primary health care based on prevention, early detection, and oral health education. Oral health care should be integrated into primary health care, with improved access at the soum and village levels and comprehensive strengthening of the health workforce, financing, and implementation mechanisms.