Do you have a toothache or a broken tooth? The problems are just beginning. Now you have to find an appointment at a dental office! The task is all the more difficult when you are not under the care of a dentist. How do I find a dentist who is taking new patients?
Why is it so complicated to get an appointment with a dentist?
There is a simple reason why finding a dentist who is taking new patients is so difficult. France lacks dentists. Becoming a dentist requires long and expensive studies. Even with a diploma in hand, you need to have a certain amount of capital to set up in a practice.
But that’s not the only factor. The fault also lies with certain patients who do not cancel their appointment and unnecessarily occupy a slot which could be used by someone else. The situation is such that we are considering a lump sum compensation to be paid to the patient for an appointment not honoured ! Finally, the origin of the problem also lies with patients who do not sufficiently appreciate their oral health. Result: they don’t know what to do when it comes to treating an oral condition urgently. In some cases, consulting a dentist is even a phobia , called stomatophobia.
Small clarification which is important: in fact, a dentist is not really a doctor. Indeed, the studies between the two disciplines differ. In fact, the complexity of good monitoring remains the same.
Shortage of dentists: a crisis that does not start today
Even patients who take their oral health seriously may have difficulty finding a new dentist . This is the case when you move or your dentist retires. Medical desertification seems to continue to gain ground.
The shortage of dentists in France has its roots a few decades ago. The aging age of the profession and the French particularity of the numerus clausus do not help to find a solution. Especially since, against all expectations and logic, the numerus clausus is decreasing. At the beginning of the 1970s, nearly 2,000 students could join university in their first year. In 2010, there were fewer than 1,200. However, the French population has increased since then. And oral health awareness has increased . To continue monitoring their patients, without the option of replacement, some dentists continue to practice beyond the age of 65. Overwhelmed, most of them find themselves managing hundreds of patients.
How do I find a dentist who is taking new patients?
To find a new dentist , many patients tend to go online. Doctolib provides relief to many patients without an appointment. The application offers search and filter options by geographic area. Results are displayed by relevance and closest availability with an online reservation system. Simple and efficient. Now accessible in just a few clicks on the Internet, the Yellow Pages are another way to find a dentist to contact yourself. If you move, be sure to ask your dentist if he or she has a colleague to advise you.
Another solution: Alan, a connected health supplement that plays the card of proximity and responsiveness. A health team is available to customers free of charge. An interface allows you to speak to a specialist by message or video 7 days a week. Although this does not replace a real consultation in an office, it already allows you to provide initial help.