The country lacks dentists, and it could affect health.

Lack of dentists in the country could affect dental health

********************************************************************

One third of the advertised dentist positions remain unfilled, and more study places need to be created, according to the dentist union Danske Tandplejere.

It is especially the rural areas that have difficulty recruiting dentists. (Photo: Claus Fisker/Ritzau Scanpix) (Photo: © Claus Fisker, Ritzau Scanpix)

By

Emilie Jensen ( [email protected] ) 42 min. ago

It is not an easy task to hire dentists for municipal and private dental clinics.

Figures from the Employment Ministry show that good one third of the advertised dentist positions remain unfilled.

This also affects the Funen region, where dentist and owner of Bogense Dental Clinic, Sam Saqr, currently has an unfilled dentist position.

- When we lack dentists, it affects patients' appointment times for dental check-ups, because it is difficult to reach them all in time. Therefore, we sometimes postpone those who are scheduled for check-ups.

According to the dentist union Danske Tandplejere, the shortage of dentists threatens Danish dental health, as dentists are the ones who make preventive interventions in relation to good oral hygiene.

Dentist and owner of Bogense Dental Clinic, Sam Saqr, is looking for a dentist for the clinic. (Photo: © Johnny Moesgaard)

- If one cannot get preventive examinations from a dentist, it can affect dental health, as one does not get the right advice in time if there is a beginning of a disease, says spokesperson for Danske Tandplejere, Elisabeth Gregersen.

------------------

Creative solutions

------------------

The challenges of recruiting dentists are also recognized by ORIS Dentists, which has 16 clinics throughout the country. One of them is located in Assens, and here they are also looking for a dentist, like in Bogense.

- As a starting point, we always assume that the positions can be filled. But our experience over the past few years is that it is a challenge to fill all dentist positions, says HR manager for ORIS Dentists, Rikke Dresing, who is involved in recruiting employees.

But if recruitment efforts fail, other solutions must be considered.

>

> Our experience over the past few years is that it is a challenge to fill all dentist positions.

> Rikke Dresing, HR manager for ORIS Dentists

- On the shortest notice, we may be forced to move some dental tasks to dentists or dental assistants, who are trained and educated in specific tasks, says she.

-------------------

More study places

-------------------

At least double the number of study places, as there are now, should be created if recruitment challenges are to be addressed, according to spokesperson for Danske Tandplejere, Elisabeth Gregersen.

- More than 1000 people have applied for dental studies in the past few years, but there are only 151 study places. So it doesn't fit at all.

According to the dentists' union, a solution could be to admit more students at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University, where the three-year professional bachelor's degree programs are located.

Education Minister Trine Bramsen (S) acknowledges that politically not enough has been done to solve the shortage of dentists.

Therefore, the Funen-elected Trine Bramsen is looking at solutions together with Education and Research Minister, Christina Egelund (M).

- I would of course really like to have a training program in the Funen region. I hope we can return with something that can help solve this problem soon.

------------------------

Rural areas hardest hit

------------------------

At ORIS Dentists, they experience that positions far from the cities of Aarhus and Copenhagen can be difficult to fill.

And it is a general trend that recruitment to rural areas is more difficult than to larger cities, says Esben Boeskov Øzhayat, lecturer and researcher at the Odontological Institute at the University of Copenhagen.

- It goes without saying that it affects the people who live in those areas.

- We know from research that there is a difference in dental health around the country. Those who have the biggest problems with their teeth live where it is hardest to recruit.

It has not been possible to get a comment from Christina Egelund (M), as she is on vacation.

Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=undefined )

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.