[Expenditures for dental care in Greece. Comparison with other countries].

The health expenditures in developed countries show a remarkable increase over the last two decades representing 7-10% of their G.N.P. In Greece, the public health expenditures amounted to an average of 3.5% of the G.N.P. for the period 1977-1983. The private sector represents a very significant component, amounting to 2.4% of the G.N.P. Dental health expenditures in Greece are considered significantly low. They account 2% of the total health expenditures. For comparison, in other developed countries this percentage is quite higher of the order of 5 to 10%. It follows that there is a great need to increase the dental health expenditures in Greece so that the needs for dental treatment of the population can be met more easily achieved by increasing the emphasis of the dental care in preventive measures starting especially with the younger segment of the population.