DT News - UK - Survey finds increased optimism about the future in UK dental professionals

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 26 May 2014

save

LONDON – The results of a recently published online survey indicate that more dental professionals practising in the UK are optimistic rather than pessimistic about the future of their profession over the next two years. Many respondents were especially optimistic about the areas of learning and development.

In order to track attitudes and opinions about the future of the dental profession in the UK, the General Dental Council (GDC), an organisation that regulates all practising dental professionals in the UK, annually conducts a survey among its registrants. The 2013 Annual Survey of Registrants found that opinions about the future of dentistry over the next two years are split between those who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic.

Similar to the 2012 results, about two in five respondents (37 per cent) indicated that they were optimistic about the future. However, almost a third of dental professionals (31 per cent) stated that they were rather pessimistic.

The survey also found that dental care professionals (44 per cent) were generally more optimistic about the future than dentists (25 per cent) were. Moreover, male respondents (47 per cent) were more pessimistic compared with female respondents (25 per cent).

In particular, the respondents felt most optimistic about learning and development (73 per cent) and advances in technology (45 per cent). With regard to areas of pessimism, the majority of respondents, and dentists in particular, said that they were rather pessimistic about changes in regulation (62 per cent) and financial issues (61 per cent).

Although the number has decreased compared with the 2012 results, a large proportion of the respondents stated that they experienced challenges in meeting the demands of regulations (43 per cent) and keeping up to date with changes in guidance, rules and the law (53 per cent) in daily practice.

The survey involved 3,611 dentists (37 per cent) and other dental care professionals, with dental nurses (46 per cent) representing the largest group. It was conducted by Enventure Research, an independent research agency, on behalf of the GDC in November and December 2013 and in January and February 2014.

In order to practise in the UK, all dental professionals are required to be registered with the GDC. Currently, there are approximately 102,800 dental professionals registered with the GDC. Of these, 62,500 are dental care professionals and 40,300 are dentists.

The full report can be accessed on the GDC website.

To post a reply please login or register

New survey highlights dentists’ pessimism about the future

LONDON, UK: There is a growing body of evidence indicating declining well-being among dentists worldwide. This was confirmed by a recent survey conducted by...

Effect of COVID-19 on dental professionals in the UK

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our professional life, yet the aftermath of the pandemic and its consequences for our future are still unclear. ...

DDU sees increase in aggression against dental professionals

LONDON, UK: Dentists may sometimes encounter patients who are agitated during a dental appointment and who become violent or aggressive. The Dental Defence ...

Leadership in dentistry: “It is not about you; it is about them”

Dr Bhavna Doshi is a dental practitioner and CEO of Dental Wealth Builder (DWB) which primarily focuses on strategies for practice profitability and growth....

Appearance survey shows UK men concerned about their teeth

LONDON, UK: The look of their teeth is of great importance to British men. More than a quarter would choose to have their teeth straightened if they could, ...

Alarming increase in oral cancer rates in the UK

RUGBY, UK: In marking World Cancer Day, the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has highlighted the constantly increasing rates of oral cancer in the ...

The future of dental simulation

Oratomic4D is a technology company based in Sydney in Australia specialising in 3D-printing technology and developing and manufacturing biomimetic dental ...

Align Technology introduces its first professional whitening system in the UK

The new Invisalign Professional Whitening System revolutionises teeth whitening with an all-in-one solution that enables Invisalign trained doctors to ...

Professional footballers score low in oral health survey

LONDON, UK: The previous season saw Premier League revenues soar to a new record of more than £3.5 billion. It seems that little of this money is ...

Survey reveals many dental practices concerned about missed enquiries

LONDON, UK: A new survey of UK-based dentists and practice managers has found that more than half fear they are missing out on treatment enquiries from ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
5:00 pm UTC (London)