More than half of the dentists whose registration with the Dental Association (OMD) was suspended did so to go and work abroad.
OMD figures for December 31, 2023 show that 15,557 professionals were registered, of which 12,988 were actively registered and 2,419 were inactive. Of these, 2,312 had their registration suspended, with 1,257 citing the reason for exercising their profession abroad.
France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy are the preferred destinations, says the report ‘The Order Numbers 2024’, which is released this Wednesday. In fact, 2023 was the year in which the number of suspended people reached an all-time high – 235 more than in 2022. According to the OMD, 1,339 dentists have had their registration suspended for more than 5 years.
“Portugal trained and lost 1,339 dentists whose registration was suspended more than five years ago. And the situation will continue to worsen, because we continue to pour young people into a saturated job market with very limited prospects of obtaining a stable professional situation”, says Miguel Pavão, president of OMD.
Unlike what happens with doctors, dentists have an excess supply, although it is not the same throughout the territory. “We are the second country that trains the most dentists in the European Union. It is urgent to stop and think about a national strategy that reverses these numbers”, he says.
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ALENTEJO WITH LESS
The World Health Organization recommends 1 dentist per 2,000 inhabitants. The regions with the worst access are Alentejo Litoral (1 per 2052) and Baixo Alentejo (2051). The Porto Metropolitan Area is the one with the highest density: 564.
530 REGISTERED IN 2023
In 2023, 530 new dentists registered with the OMD, of which 387 were Portuguese nationals. Of the foreigners, the largest contingent is dentists from Brazil and Italy (51 each) and Spain (23).
Source: www.cmjornal.pt
