The dental labour force in Australia: the position and policy directions

Abstract

The practice of dentistry in Australia is changing. One substantial change is a decrease in visits per year supplied by dentists. At present dental graduate numbers, there will be a widening gap between the capacity of the dental labour force and the population?s demand for dental visits and services. This publication presents an overview of the aggregate shortage of the dental labour force and considers the policy directions to close the supply-demand gap. While both short-term and long-term directions are presented, the focus is on longer term directions for Australia to develop a sustainable self-sufficiency in its dental labour force.