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It depends who you ask
Some of Bermuda’s dentists feel there is a shortage of
dental manpower while others disagree. It seems that most dental offices
are busy and newcomers to Bermuda often can not go to the first
dental office that has been recommended to them. One hears many
stories about how long it takes to get an appointment, or how difficult it
is to find a dentist, yet very few letters of concern have been sent to
this association or the “letters to the Editor” columns. If a large
segment of the public perceives a shortage of dentists, they are not
raising loud objections. |
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Some facts as of Jan 2009.
There are forty-three dentists practicing in Bermuda.
Six of these are qualified specialists with limited
specialist practices.
Five are employed by Government and see mostly children age
sixteen or under.
Three have limited their practices to surgery, implants and
or cosmetics.
There are thirty General
Practitioners. Fourteen are accepting new patients and sixteen are not.
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Some Good News Three new dentists in in Bermuda in 2008 Dr. Devon Binns graduated
in 2006 and recently completed a post graduate residency program.He
has started practicing with Dr. Vincent Bridgewater in Hamilton.
Dr. Kianna Simmons graduated as a dentist
from the University of Pensylvania in 2007 and then completed a one year
residency program in Oral Medicine. She has recently returned to Bermuda
and is practicing with Dr. Gibbons in Paget.
Dr. Christopher Allington got his DDS three
years ago in Canada and then completed a one year residency in the USA.
After practicing for a year in Connecticut he moved to Bermuda with his
Bermudian spouse. He is in practice with Dr. Campbell at Prospect.
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Who are Bermudas dentists and how
do I find one?
Here is some advice and a list of
dentists who are accepting new
patients.
Here is a list of
all Bermuda’s practicing
dentists and some additional information.
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By the numbers
The population of BDA is 66,163 (est. Wikipedia 2007)
The population ratio is 1539 patients per
dentist or 65 dentists per 100,000 population.
The reference ratio in the US in 1999 was 60.38 dentists
per 100,000 and the US estimate for 2020 is 54 / 100,000(source American Dental
Association). In Canada it was 53.33 per 100,000 in 2001.
These numbers tell us that Bermuda’s ratio
of dentists to population is similar to that in the US. Many countries
have a lower ratio of dentists to population and the US is not generally seen to
have a shortage of dentists. The UK only has 33.05 per 100,000.
American Dental Association states that many factors affect local demand for
dental services ( average income, education levels, percent of patients with
dental insurance etc.) and they avoid recommending an ideal ratio.
The percentage of the Bermuda public that
has dental insurance is high. Virtually everyone who works in the top two
employment sectors, International Business and Government has dental insurance.
Many patients choose the best (as opposed to the cheapest) option available and
want esthetic crown and veneer work, bleaching, implants etc. We do not
have the data to compare these factors to other countries, but they are an
important component of demand for dental services.
Other ratios and estimates are available
here for those interested.
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Bermudian Dental Students
We know of four Bermudians currently
studying Dentistry in the US. Two already have their DDS degrees and are in post graduate
training to become qualified maxillofacial surgeons by 2010. One dental
student will graduate in 2009 and will likely return sometime in 2010, the other
should graduate in 2012.
In the last five years several other Bermudian dentists
and spouses of Bermudians
have started practicing in Bermuda.
Several dental hygiene students and one
dental technologist have completed their studies and returned to Bermuda in
recent years.
The Bermuda Dental Association supports
dental education and encourages Bermudians to go into the dental field. We
have a dental scholarship fund that provides loans to students studying
dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental technology. The BDA has provided
loans to eleven students over the last 6 years.
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