Dental student debt doubles in a decade
The average student debt for dentists has doubled in a decade.
New research, which was published in the British Dental Journal, shows that the average final year dental student now has £52,922 worth of debt. The figure has increased by over 50% since 2013. Debts include student and commercial loans.
Researchers found that over 60% of students had experienced money troubles during their studies. More than 25% of students considered not going to university because of fears over debts and almost 40% had thought about quitting during the course. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to struggle with financial difficulties and consider leaving university than those from more affluent backgrounds.
Student committee chair at the British Dental Association, Paul Blaylock, said that rising debts are putting people off going to university, especially those who are interested in studying subjects like dentistry, which are longer courses. He described the level of student debts among trainee dentists as “eye-watering” and said that it was worrying that people could avoid starting dental courses at a time when the demand for dental care is increasing and there are significant dentist shortages within the NHS.
The authors of the study have called for new measures to be introduced to support students who want to study dentistry, as well as those who are already at university and finding it difficult to cope with the cost of living and studying and rising debt levels. Without the necessary support, dentist numbers could fall in the future and talented individuals could miss out on valuable opportunities to pursue their career aspirations.
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