Transforming epidemiology into service needs: results of the 6th German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6).

The article focuses on the results of the 6th German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6), which quantifies current dental service needs within Germany's statutory health insurance system using updated epidemiologic data. It reveals a stable total annual dental service demand over the past decades (~44 million service units) but a significant redistribution from younger adults (35–44 years), whose needs declined by 40%, to younger seniors (65–74 years), whose needs doubled. This shift is characterized by decreased restorative and prosthetic services in younger adults and increased fixed prosthetic and periodontal care among seniors, reflecting greater tooth retention in older populations. The findings highlight implications for dental workforce training, service delivery, and financing to address the evolving oral health needs of an aging but increasingly dentate population.