Fed: National shortage of country dentists predicted

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2001
Fed: National shortage of country dentists predicted

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - A national shortage of country dentists was looming due to
insufficient federal funding for university training, a Victorian health official said
today.

The Victorian government's Dental Health Services chief executive, Martin Dooland (Dooland),
predicted a massive shortage in the next decade and said graduates were already in short
supply because of the cost of expensive university courses.

"We need to get into the situation where universities can afford to train more dentists,
dental therapists and dental hygienists and some national planning of the dental workforce,"

Mr Dooland told ABC radio.

"There is a national market for dentists. Victoria uses a lot of South Australian dentists
and New South Wales dentists. People move about.

"So it's a national issue and needs some coherent planning."

He said there was a 20 per cent shortage of public dentists in Victoria and the same
problem was emerging in other states.

AAP dep/mg/de

KEYWORD: DENTISTS

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