Investment in South African dentistry expected to boost the dental products market
The most recent Clinical Dental Report published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC) provides feedback on clinical dental treatment activity. The NHS IC have recommended care in interpreting the data as a comparison with historic dental contracting models.
However, the research findings suggest that the most common dental clinical treatment in England and Wales is teeth scaling and polishing for adults. Children are mainly having permanent filling treatments and also sealant restorations. In contrast, a recent report on the South African Dental Products Market published by Frost & Sullivan indicates that over 90 percent of South Africans require dental treatment for rising oral diseases like caries, with a high aged population needing tooth replacements and restorations.
Reports such as these stimulate new government initiatives, sought-after dentistry skills and direct the course of dental product marketing strategies. The Frost & Sullivan report also reveals that qualified clinicians have in the main moved to industrial countries such as the UK due to insufficient wage and infrastructure. More than 400 South African individuals graduate with a dentistry qualification annually, yet only 3,000 are employed within the South African dentistry industry.
The South African government has earmarked 4.7 percent of its budget for oral health campaigns to create awareness about the importance of oral health and the investment is expected to boost opportunities in dentistry and the dental products market.
Join this Discussion
What does this article mean when it says “only 3000 are employed within the South African dentistry industry”? Are you referring to private practising clinicians, those employed in public service or both?
P.S. If government pays any kind of attention to this sort of research, which DOH is not known for doing, then this should be very clear red lights flashing for their National Health Insurance plans.(Prevention is not only better, but a hell of a lot cheaper than the cure!!)