A recent study found that out of 24 European countries, Ireland had the fewest dentists per capita, reports The Mirror.
This indicates that a significant portion of youngsters are not receiving routine dental examinations, indicating that there is an oral hygiene crisis in the nation.
Romania had the most dentists per capita, while Austria had the second-lowest number, placing Ireland at the bottom of the table.
Reacting to the findings Fintan Hourihan, chief executive of the Irish Dental Association, said: “It confirms what we have been saying and what we have been warning about for quite some time. In our journal, we have seen a record number of classified ads looking for dentists, and this International Dental Journal [study] shows we have the fewest number of dentists in Europe,” reports The Mirror.
“The essence of dentistry is prevention. What it means ultimately is patients will end up presenting in pain looking for emergency pain relief and facing the prospect of losing teeth rather than saving teeth. If people aren’t getting to see the dentist regularly, their oral health will suffer and the people who suffer the most are the ones who need it most and the ones who probably have the greatest difficulty in affording dental care,” CEO added, reports The Mirror.
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