The dental industry in Australia is one that has seen continuous growth in the recent past. In the coming years, the trend is expected to rise as there is an increasing demand for highly-qualified and skilled dentists in Australia. The healthcare sector is constantly searching for a qualified workforce to fill in the gaps in medical employment. Medical recruitment companies like Medfuture are also working towards bringing skilled medical specialists and dentists to work in the healthcare sector in Australia.

In light of such demand in the dentistry field, here is a look at the state of dentistry in Australia, and trends and developments for 2023.

Dental services in Australia

As much as there is demand for dentists in Australia, there is also a competitive selection process that takes into consideration only qualified and skilled professionals. Dentists brace for high competition as enterprise numbers rise in the industry.

Industry trends (2017 onwards)

Operators in the dental services industry in Australia have had to face a series of challenges in the past five years. It includes weak growth and household disposable incomes. The pandemic became the biggest challenge that many industries had to face in the recent past. It also affected the performance of the dental industry over the same period. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Australian government implemented level three restrictions in the dental industry. These restrictions only allowed dentists to only conduct dental procedures for emergencies to temporarily stabilize dental issues to prevent hospitalization of patients. Therefore, the dental industry was somewhat restricted, which affected its growth in that time period.

Industry outlook (2017 onwards)

The performance of the dental industry over the next five years was forecasted supported by a growing and ageing population and rising disposable incomes. The need for improved and advanced dental and oral care over the long term has also been projected to increase the demand of the dental industry over the time period. The Australian Dental Association has compiled an agenda that addresses different health determinants, including social, economic, and lifestyle factors that affect the oral health of all Australians. Growth is also expected to occur in cosmetic and restorative procedures, which will be an additional boost to the industry in the coming years.

Industry statistics

Here are some statistics of the dental industry in Australia:

Market size: $10 billion

Number of businesses in: 19,673

Industry employment: 56,651

Dental services industry in Australia

The dental industry consists of registered general and specialist general practitioners. It also consists of dental clinics that connect multiple dentists and specialists to provide dental services, and dental hospitals that only provide outpatient services.

Industry products and services include the following:

Preventative and diagnostic services

Restorative services

Other specialist services

All other services

Industry activities include the following:

Dental clinic operation

Dental hospital (outpatient) operation

Oral pathology

Dental surgery

Oral surgery

Orthodontic

Prosthodontics

Periodontics

Endodontic

Conservative dentistry

Dental industry in Australia: Market research

The key external drivers of the dental industry performance include the following:

Private health insurance membership

Real household disposable income

Population above the age of 50

Number of dental practitioners for every 100,000 people

Number of dental practitioners for every 100,000 people

According IBISWorld, the number of dental practitioners for every 100,000 people is set to decline by 0.3% over 2022, to reach 87.9. The latest data from the Dental Board of Australia shows that the number of registered dental practitioners has increased over the September quarter 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a limited number of employment opportunities which has impacted this growth.

The department of health in Australia reveals that the dental workforce is dominated by general dentists with a hold of 73.9%. The remainder is followed by oral health therapists (10.6%), dental hygienists (6.5%), dental prosthetics (5.6%) and dental therapists (3.4%). There is also a significant increase in the enrolment of women in dental schools over the past decade that has led to the increase in the number of women employed in the dental industry over the past five years.

How the population above the age of 50 affects the industry

The population above the age of 50 has grown significantly over the past five years. Trends in 2021-22 show  that Australians are more into looking after their health and wellbeing which results in long life.

People above 50 are more susceptible to health issues and may require expensive dental work due to poor dental health and gum diseases. Older people spend more per capita on dentists that the young population. Senior citizens are also more likely to purchase health insurance, all of which impacts the health sector, including the dental industry.

Dental care

A dental visit provides the chance for preventative oral & dental care which is essential in maintaining oral health. It may even be able to reverse gum diseases and rehabilitate teeth.

In 2021-22:

As per APRA 2022, 44.8 million dental services were subsidized by private health insurance providers

According to the Department of Health 2019 statistics, 4.7 million services were subsidized under the Australian Government’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule

National study of oral health

The National study of oral health is a population-based survey that collects information related to oral and dental health from approximately 15,000 individuals aged 15, from all corners of Australia.

Statistics in 2017-18 reveal that;

Half (56%) of adults of 15 years and above saw a dentist in the last 12 months

11% of adults aged 15 years and above last saw a dentist 5 or more years ago

Over half (58%) of adults of 15 years and above reported that they generally visit a dental professional at least once a year

Over three quarters (79%) of adults 15 years and above have a dentist which they generally go to

Digital dentistry trends in 2023

Dentistry and orthodontics are specific fields where digital technologies are actively used. These fields have recently seen a shift towards digitalization. Technological advancements in the medical and dentistry fields have led to the development and use of tools that revolutionize the way that dentists conduct examinations, diagnose patients and proceed with treatments. The global digital orthodontics market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 11.1% to reach $12 billion by 2026.

Digitalization in dentistry

Here’s how the dental industry has embraced digitalization to move onto conducting more advanced treatments in a simplified manner with less complexities.

Intraoral scanners or intraoral cameras

These scanners or cameras can capture high-quality images of the inside of a patient’s mouth, including teeth. It allows for a better diagnosis and improved treatment planning.

Printing material revolution/ 3D printing

3d printing allows the creation of tailor-made orthodontic appliances including retainers and aligners, better and more accurately than conventional methods.

Remote monitoring

Remote monitoring allows dentists to conduct virtual consultations and adjust treatment plans accordingly, without requiring the patient to be present physically.

AI integration

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere and it has dominated the world of dentistry. New and exciting opportunities have opened up in the field of dentistry with applications of AI in X-ray analysis and diagnostics tools being developed to improve dental care.

Medfuture is in the forefront of medical recruitment in Australia. We bring forth the best dentists that are highly qualified and skilled, to treat patients. Visit our website to find the latest dentistry jobs across all states and suburbs in Australia.