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Recruitment and retention in dentistry in the UK: a scoping review to explore the challenges across the UK, with a particular interest in rural and coastal areas

British Dental Journal (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction There is currently reduced access to NHS dental services in the UK, particularly in England, with rural and coastal areas significantly affected. Recruitment and retention in dentistry has been highlighted as an issue contributing to the problem.

Objectives To explore what is known or unknown about recruitment and retention of the dental workforce in the UK, with a particular focus on rural and coastal areas. We were keen to gain information relating to factors affecting recruitment and retention, geographical distribution of the workforce, anticipated challenges, strategies or proposals to assist workforce planning and the extent of empirical research.

Methods Searches for peer-reviewed literature and reports were undertaken and included when they met the eligibility criteria. Data were extracted and the findings narratively synthesised.

Discussion The findings suggested wide ranging recruitment and retention issues of the dental workforce in the UK. Most issues were associated with NHS dentists, followed by dental nurses across both the NHS and private sectors. The worst affected parts of the country were rural and coastal areas.

Conclusion It appears from the evidence that there are many dental professionals discussing recruitment and retention issues, followed by stakeholders. However, there is limited research and data to initiate change.

Key points

  • Identifies factors affecting recruitment and retention in the dental workforce in the UK, including future challenges and potential strategies for assisting workforce planning.

  • Discusses the consequence of recruitment and retention issues leading to reduced patient access to dental care.

  • Highlights geographical dental workforce imbalances in the UK, with a particular interest in rural and coastal areas.

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Funding

This review was funded by the Faculty of Health Strategic Investment Fund, University of Plymouth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peninsula Dental School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK

    Deborah Evans, Lorna Burns, Ian Mills, Marie Bryce & Sally Hanks

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  1. Deborah Evans
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  2. Lorna Burns
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  3. Ian Mills
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Contributions

Deborah Evans: screening, data extraction, analysis, writing manuscript, writing abstract, referencing, and revising and proofreading the manuscript. Lorna Burns: developing themes, methodology expert, principal investigator, conducting search, quality analysis, quality appraisal, writing methods, language editor, and revising and proofreading the manuscript. Ian Mills: developing themes, writing introduction, quality analysis, language editor, and revising and proofreading the manuscript. Marie Bryce: developing themes, methodology expert, quality analysis, language editor, and revising and proofreading the manuscript. Sally Hanks: developing themes, quality analysis, language editor, and revising and proofreading the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deborah Evans.

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The authors confirm there are no conflicts of interest in this project.

This study was deemed not to require ethical review by the University of Plymouth Faculty of Health Research Ethics and Integrity Committee on the grounds that it involved only the synthesis of data obtained from/about human subjects already in the public domain through previous publication.

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Evans, D., Burns, L., Mills, I. et al. Recruitment and retention in dentistry in the UK: a scoping review to explore the challenges across the UK, with a particular interest in rural and coastal areas. Br Dent J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-5406-0

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