Ireland is in the grip of a serious dentist shortage. The Irish Dental Association conducted a survey last year that revealed that one in six patients are waiting over three months for a routine appointment with their dentist. Children and vulnerable public sector patients are at the coalface of this crisis, with the IDA confirming that staffing has become a very serious issue. According to their report, HSE figures show that half of the children who were due to be seen by a dentist under the school screening process in 2022 never received any form of dental check-up. In fact more than 100,000 children missed out on essential school screening appointments in 2023. 

IDA’s survey results 

• The survey found that one in six patients were waiting over 3 months for an elective appointment, while more than half of patients are being forced to wait longer than that for specialist care.

• More than 50% of dentists surveyed have tried to hire a dentist in the past 12 months with almost 60% of those unable to find a suitable candidate.

• 80% of IDA members who currently hold a DTSS contract say they are no longer able to take on or see new medical card patients.

The reasons for this urgent situation are several-fold. Ireland’s population continues to grow, while a sizable section of Ireland’s dentists are ready to retire. This has created a gap here that dental clinics are struggling to fill. With just two dental schools in University College Cork and Trinity College producing 80 dentists a year, the Irish dental sector is at crisis point. The Royal College Surgeons in Ireland are now planning a new dental course, but dentistry courses are several years in duration, so it’ll be several years before there's a fresh batch of fully qualified dentists. And many young graduates migrate, albeit temporarily. Plus the medical card system for public patients is oversubscribed, with the number of public-only dentists having dropped by a quarter in the last 15 years.  

Specialists

The problem is even more acute when it comes to dental specialists, like orthodontists. Considering orthodontists have to first qualify as a dentist, gain general experience in the field before going on to undertake a specialist three-year full-time training programme, it’s no shock that there aren't enough of them. And Ireland is also experiencing a shortage of dental hygienists.

Compared to other EU countries

The problem is particularly stark when you compare Ireland to the rest of the EU. Ireland has 44 dentists per 100,000 of the population. The UK has 53 dentists per 100,000 of the population. while Germany and Italy have almost double that number. That’s far short of the estimated 500 dentists that is required to alleviate the situation now.

So what is the solution to hiring qualified dentists now? 

DentRecruit.ie is Ireland’s only dental recruitment provider that specialises in recruiting and preparing trained non-Irish dentists for the Irish dental sector. We focus on high-quality dental candidates from across the world. We help non-Irish candidates with work visas, English language requirements and registration to the IDC. Our services include relocation solutions as well as job applicant assistance. We want to ensure that the best candidates with the right qualifications and skills are ready and able to work, once they enter the country.

Founded by a dental professional, the team at Dent Recruit feel that their recruitment approach is the best immediate, pragmatic solution to Ireland’s dental shortage. And could be the best way to increase resources in an already overstretched system.

[Imagery Source: Daniel Frank Photographer]