This report analyses the number of employed dental practitioners per 100,000 people in Australia. A dental practitioner includes dentists, oral health therapists, dental hygienists, dental therapists and dental prosthetists. Total dental practitioner employment numbers are sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The data is then applied to population statistics sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is presented in calendar years.
IBISWorld forecasts the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people to increase by 0.7% over 2024, to reach 89.9. According to the latest data from the Dental Board, the number of registered dental practitioners has increased over the September quarter of 2023. While not all registered persons are currently employed as dental practitioners, the increased registration number is likely to cause a slight rise in the number of employed dental practitioners as well. Growth in the number of employed dental practitioners has outpaced population growth, causing a rise in the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people. The recovery from the pandemic has supported the employment and registration of dentists as restrictions on dental practices have been lifted.
The latest data from the Department of Health reveals that the dental labour force is dominated by general dentists (73.9%), with oral health therapists (10.6%), dental hygienists (6.5%), dental prosthetists (5.6%) and dental therapists (3.4%) making up the remainder. Dental practitioners are primarily located in major cities and in much lower numbers in regional areas. Findings from the Australian Dental Association (ADA) state that Australians living in rural and remote areas have comparatively poor oral health compared with their urban counterparts due to a lack of access to dental care.
IBISWorld forecasts the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 ...