Dentists few and far between

By BRIDGET CARTER

Some areas of the country have half the number of dentists needed.

But no one can say how it has affected people's teeth because there has been no national research on dentistry since 1988.

These are the findings from a paper on the dental workforce by Dental Association chief executive Robin Whyman.

Based on the Dental Council's annual workforce survey, the West Coast of the South Island has more than 4000 people per dentist. In Gisborne there is one dentist to 3500.

Dr Whyman said most First World countries would have a ratio of about 1500 people per dentist. That was about the ratios for Auckland and Wellington.

In Gisborne, dentist Dr Robin Bennett said he knew of 100 children referred to Gisborne Hospital by dentists for operations because clients were only coming in for emergency treatment.

There were only six dentists working between Te Araroa and Wairoa. His practice had been forced to stop calling people for their regular check-ups because he was so busy.

"When we are flat tack we can't see the point in extending the agony of calling people in."

Dentists are just one group of health professionals in high demand because of a global shortage.

There are also shortages of anaesthetists, psychiatrists, pathologists and rural general practitioners.

Hardest hit by shortages of these specialists are rural areas.

Only last month, 24-hour surgery was suspended at Kaitaia Hospital because of problems attracting anaesthetists to work in the Far North.

On the West Coast, Grey Hospital made national headlines when the wife of its sole general surgeon pleaded with the hospital board to provide relief for her husband, who had been working alone for months.

Dr Whyman said the dentist shortage was because of lack of workforce planning in the 1990s.

He said people would face serious health problems later if access to dental care did not improve.

"People will have more time off work and ... people who get serious infections have to be admitted to hospital."

Although the country had 1600 dentists, 400 more than in 1983, the population had increased by 500,000. Many of those extra dentists only worked part-time.

In 1996, dentists worked an average of 37.87 hours a week, while now they averaged 35.57 hours.

More women in the workforce could explain the drop in the average number of hours.

Dr Whyman said the problems of recruiting began about four years ago.

If problems continued, people in their 40s needing a lot of work on their teeth and those in the lower socio-economic bracket would be hardest hit.

In places such as Northland, tooth decay among 5-year-olds was increasing.

Dr Whyman said the country needed to train more dentists, but the Government was reluctant to do because of the costs.