Surfeit of Dentists Leaves Many Jobless in India
The number of dentists working in India has increased so much that many newly qualified dentists are struggling to find work.
According to the World Health Organisation the ideal dentist to patient ratio is 1:7,500, but in some areas, including the state of Maharashtra, the ratio is 1:5,000. This dentist to patient ratio has rendered many dentists jobless because there are simply not enough patients requiring dental work.
In light of the situation, the Dental Council of India (DCI) has written to chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, to urge him not to give permission for the opening of a new dental school in the state. The Maharashtra University of Health Science received the same letter and a one-man expert panel was formed to review the situation. Dr Mansingh Pawar, dean of Government Dental College in Mumbai was charged with this task.
Dr Dibyendu Mazumder said that the number of dentists is increasing year after year and this is causing problems, as many dentists do not have sufficient patient numbers. There are currently 35 dental schools in the state, producing between 3,000 and 3,500 dentist per year. Pawar said that it is becoming increasingly difficult for dentists to find work and dentists who qualified in the past have stated that dentistry is no longer a secure job due to the high numbers of graduates.
Dr Akash Akinwar, a periodontist, said that some dentists have been forced to work in call centres to earn money and criticised the DCI for acting too late.
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