At the end of the 2021, the Ordem dos Médicos Dentistas (OMD) [Dentists’ Association] was made up of 12,235 actively registered professionals practising in Portugal, almost double the amount registered in 2010, when the number was only 6,905. In 2021, in comparison to the year before, the number of actively practising dentists in Portugal increased by 5.1%. These numbers were revealed in the “Números da Ordem” [Association Statistics] Study, carried out by the OMD, a report showing the current statistics, estimates and trends of the profession.
The growth in the number of dentists has been accentuated despite the significant increase in the number of dentists who have stopped practising in Portugal, choosing to pursue their careers in countries such as France or the United Kingdom.
On the 31st of December 2021, 12.9% of dentists were members with suspended registrations at the OMD. Compared to 2020, the number of professionals with suspended registrations increased by 8.4%, with a total of 1819. Of these, 60% were under 41. The main reason for these suspensions was the moving of professionals to foreign countries (67%).
In 2021, the professionals that opted to practise dentistry abroad, mainly did so in Europe, namely France (27.6%), the United Kingdom (23.5%), Spain (8.5%), the Netherlands (7%) and Italy (6.8%).
The increase in the number of active professionals in Portugal has led to the minimising of the ratio of dentists per inhabitant, reaching 1 dentist for 846 people at the end of 2021, when it was 884 residents in the previous year.
The projections of the Association, based on the recorded trends, indicate that the ratio of dentists to residents will reach 1:685 in 2025, increasingly distant from the reference value of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which recommends 1 dentist per 2,000 residents.
The data reveals that the distribution of dentists across the country presents a very significant disparity. The Metropolitan Zone in Porto, Viseu Dão-Lafões and Coimbra with 598, 674 and 751 habitants for each dentist are the top three places of regions with the greatest number of dentists. The regions with the lowest availability of dentists, even below the recommended numbers of the WHO, are Baixo Alentejo, Alentejo Litoral and Lezíria do Ribatejo, with 2,345, 3,193 and 1950 inhabitants per dentist.
Dentistry is now the Profession with the Most Students, Highest Female Presence and Most Youthful Presence
In 2021, the average age of dentists with an active registration in Portugal remained at 40, however about 70% of registered members (8 514 dentists) are up to 45 years old.
The proportion of female members in the total number of OMD members reached 61.6%, with this number increasing every year, having reached a total increase of 160%. Among the younger age groups, the prevalence of the female gender is even more pronounced. Among dentists aged 30 or less, 73% are women.
The number of students that attend the seven dentistry schools continues to increase. In 2021, 3,840 students attended the Integrated Master’s Degree in Dentistry, 69 more than in 2020 and 436 more than five years earlier.
Miguel Pavão, chairman of OMD, stated that “the national labour market is becoming increasingly saturated, leading to a progressive precariousness and devaluation of the profession and an increase in migratory flows to practice the profession in other countries, particularly among younger people.”
Despite the consistent increase in the number of professionals registered in the Association, in the complex society in which we live, the economic difficulties of access to Oral Health are increasing, affecting a large part of the Portuguese population. As a result, it is greatly important to find ways to safeguard the health of the Portuguese people and access to places that do so”.
Image to JOSEPH SHOHMELIAN por Pixabay
