One out of three NK defectors have unhealthy teeth

Lee (53, female), who was born in and grew up in Eunduk-gun, North Hamgyong Province, never visited a dentist before she escaped to South Korea. The most common treatment for toothache at an illegal dentist was to remove the tooth without anesthetization. Dentures and implants were luxuries that they could not even dream of. Lee had one molar removed in North Korea, and as a result, her nearby teeth were inclined and broken. By the time she defected to South Korea last April, most of her teeth were in awful condition. She had to have 10 teeth removed and partial dentures at Hanawon, also known as the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees.

Hanawon said on Sunday that one out of three North Korean defectors in South Korea have missing teeth. Hanawon stated that 2,943 out of 8,395 defectors (35.1 percent) who escaped North Korea between 2011 and 2015 received dental prosthesis treatments such as implants, dentures, and bridges. Considering that 73.8 percent of defectors are under 40, the dental health of older people in North Korea could be worse. According to the Healthcare Collaborating Agency's report on dental inspection results published in 2012, only 8.4 percent of Koreans under 40 had received dental prosthesis treatment.

The reason why North Korean defectors have poor teeth conditions is that they lack a sense of hygiene, and medical facilities are poorly managed. Also when patients feel severe pain, they would just remove the teeth. Most cities and counties have only one dental clinic and people have to wait for three to four months to get treatment. Furthermore, because the clinics do not have enough raw materials, patients themselves have to bring in materials such as gold, silver, and copper.

Since 2010, Hanawon has provided free dental treatment to North Korean defectors who lost their teeth, but not all patients get the treatment that they need. Two dentists, three dental hygienists, and members of "Yeolin Dentist Volunteer Club" work every weekend at Hanawon, but the number of patients is too many for them to cover.

The Seoul city government and the Seoul Medical Center have offered a subsidy of up to 1.5 million won to every North Korean defector who needs dental care such as nerve treatment or implants since last March. Some 500 defectors have received treatment so far. "Many patients have neglected teeth in bad condition for too long, making it difficult for us to recover them," said Lee Hyun-woo, dental department chief at the Seoul Medical Center.

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