Why?

A couple of years ago the Australian Dental Journal published a paper looking at the dearth of research funding for dentistry, which sadly hasn't changed. For this editorial I want to look at the ‘dearth’ of academic staff in dental schools. Academic staff are essential for teaching students to practice as dental professionals. It is a worldwide phenomenon and not just confined to Australia and likely New Zealand by extrapolation. Sadly, it's an issue that has been persisting for a number of years and looks not to be getting any better. So the question is why? Using Dr. Google and AI (shortage of Australian dental academics), the following came up and I repeat them as they nicely sum up what the literature reports and anecdotally from talking to colleagues. Interestingly, the first point that came up was income. Academic salaries lag ‘far’ behind what can be earned in private practice, especially for dentists and dental specialists. In the UK, this disparity is recognised by a separate clinical lecture pay scale, but even though there is a clinical loading in some Australian universities, this does not compensate much. Some universities allow intra-mural or part-time practice, but usually at their discretion, which helps but does not equate to private practice. Lack of clear and established career pathways was second then workload followed by lack of support. Also highlighted was an ageing workforce. Many academics ‘cite poor working conditions, lack of mentorship and limited research opportunities’. I would add to this the cost of training. With a huge debt why would someone go into a profession with relatively poor salaries compared to private practice? Prof Lalloo published a very interesting paper last year (https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.13146) looking at exactly this topic. He surveyed a large number of dental academics around Australia. The responses indicated a workforce between 30 and 50 years, but worryingly almost 20% were over 60. So they are likely to retire soon. Over 50% were born overseas and 40% received a non-Australian qualification, which may or may not be recognised. Comments raised were around balancing work and family, teaching workload versus time for research, and lack of mentorship. What is interesting is the apparent lack of Australians who are interested in academic careers. What is happening that puts them off? Is it all of the above or related in some way to the experience they have as students? It's clear that Australia can't and shouldn't rely on overseas trained dentists as it is not a sustainable model. The Australian Dental Council (ADC) released its ‘Dental Academic Workforce Statement’ in 2022 noting the lack of academic staff and sustainability issues (my paraphrasing). The solutions were common sense and reflected the points above. So, we know the problem, what the shortage may lead to and the solutions, but there seems to be nothing in between and a lack of successful initiatives to address the staff shortages. It may be that good academics are few and far between worldwide or a reflection of the current situation and barriers. The ADC noted ‘All these issues may impact the ability for dental students to acquire the knowledge and skills required to practise safely.’ It is an issue that will not go away and needs urgent action. Naturally, the opinions expressed are those of the editor alone. Ivan Darby: writing – review and editing. The author declares no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.