A new national survey of oral health care providers has uncovered the challenges Canadian dental practices face and their plans to expand in the coming years, as the dental care system braces for an increase in demand under the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
The Survey of Oral Health Care Providers (SOHCP) provides an in-depth look into how dental, denturist, and dental hygienist offices across Canada manage current patient demands and prepare for the future. This is the first national survey to focus on the state of Canada’s oral health care system, gathering insights from over 1,000 practices across the country.
One of the most important findings from the survey is the wait time for dental appointments. The survey shows that most dental practices are able to offer appointments to existing patients fairly quickly. More than half (52%) of the practices reported an average wait time of one week to less than one month for existing patients. For new patients, 55% of practices reported being able to offer an appointment within the same timeframe.
While this is positive news, the survey also highlights that the situation may change as the Canadian Dental Care Plan expands. The plan is expected to increase demand for dental services, and it will be important to monitor how practices adapt to the higher volume of patients.
A key challenge for many dental practices is staffing. The survey found that 80% of oral health care practices reported facing some form of human resources challenge, particularly in hiring skilled staff. Recruitment difficulties were the most common issue, with dentist offices (82%) facing the highest levels of staffing challenges, followed by dental hygienist (71%) and denturist (53%) offices.
The impact of these staffing shortages is already being felt in many practices, affecting everything from patient care to overall operations. The shortage of skilled workers is a major concern, especially with the added pressure of expanding access to care.
In addition to staffing issues, operational difficulties are also a significant challenge. Three-quarters (75%) of the practices surveyed reported facing operational challenges. These challenges ranged from administrative and financial hurdles to issues related to patient recruitment and cancellations.
Different types of practices reported varying operational concerns. Dentists were more likely to report financial and administrative issues, while dental hygienists and denturists focused more on problems related to attracting and retaining clients.
Despite these challenges, many oral health care practices are optimistic about the future. Around 31% of practices indicated they plan to expand their operations within the next two years. Independent dental hygienists were the most likely to plan an expansion (44%), followed by dentists (32%) and denturists (26%).
Expanding operations often involves hiring more staff, with 70% of practices planning to do so. Independent dental hygienist offices were leading the way in staff expansion, with 80% planning to hire more workers, followed by 70% of dentist offices and 67% of denturist offices.