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LEEDS – According to new statistics published by UK health authorities, there has been a constant increase in the number of dentists in the country over the past six years. Last year, however, saw a significant increase in young female dental practitioners in particular. Currently, more than half of dentists under 35 in England are female, according to the report.
In total, there were 23,201 dentists in 2012/13 in England, an increase of 15.1 per cent (3,041) since 2006/07, when figures were first recorded.
With regard to sex distribution, the investigators found a continuous increase in the percentage of female dentists, while the number of male dentists remained fairly stable. Today, female dentists make up over 45 per cent of the workforce. In 2012/13, there were 10,541 female dentists, a 34.7 per cent increase since 2006/07 when there were 7,824 female practitioners.
In the under-35 age group, women even outnumbered their male counterparts. In 2006/07, 51.8 per cent of all dentists under 35 were female compared with 56.1 per cent in 2012/13. In contrast, 76.4 per cent of dentists aged 55 or over were male.
The report, titled “NHS dental statistics for England: 2012/13”, was published on 17 September. It can be downloaded from the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s website.
