Dentists are gathering in Kilkenny today for the Irish Dental Association’s annual conference.
Lyrath Estate Hotel is hosting the event across the weekend where findings of a new survey are sure to be among the topics to be thrashed out.
The poll shows that four out of five dentists say they don’t have the capacity to take on any new patients, including children.
One quarter of dentists are currently not in a position to take on new private adult patients.
Irish Dental Association President Eamon Croke says there are recruitment issues and a capacity crisis across the profession; “Nearly 50% of the dentists who were asked the question when they applied to get dentists to join the practice 60% of them found they couldn’t get a suitable candidate so there are positions there, we know also that people were questioned about you know if they, this new contract that’s suggested to treat children would they be able to take it on, more than 80% said no”.
