Dentists in short supply in Bay

Poeple are having to wait up to seven weeks for dental treatment because of problems attracting dentists to the Western Bay and some practices have stopped taking on new clients.
Too few dentists to meet the growing Western Bay demand has also pushed out waiting times for appointments.
But while the Dental Association of New Zealand admits there may be a lack of dentists in the smaller town centres of the Western Bay, it says there are plenty of dentists in Tauranga, with 50 registered to serve more than 100,000 people.
A Papamoa Dental spokesperson said the practice was still accepting patients but was booking appointments three weeks in advance because it was so busy.
"It's a huge problem, there just aren't enough dentists and a lot of people expect to be seen the next day," the spokesperson said.
"There are so many people pouring into the area but we just don't have the facilities to cope."
Two other Tauranga dental practices, neither of whom would be named, said they have closed their books because they were too busy to take on new patients.
One of the practices said its current wait time for new patients was seven weeks.
Another was trying to employ a dentist but was having problems finding one.
Its manager said they knew of about six Bay practices looking for new dentists.
Dental Council of New Zealand chief executive, Dr William Whittaker, said the problem of attracting new dentists was not unique to the Western Bay.
Most smaller communities and rural centres in the country were experiencing difficulties, he said.
"It's an ongoing problem but we are powerless to do anything about it.
"When someone applies for a registration we cannot decide where they practice.
"The reality is that there is a concentration of dentists in the urban centres because you can maximise your income in the urban centres."
But two dental practices spoken to by the Bay of Plenty Times said they did not think there was a shortage problem.
Both said they were able to see patients within a week of requesting an appointment and that the demand tended to be seasonal _ for instance it slowed down when rates were due and picked up as Christmas approached.
Executive director of the Dental Association of New Zealand, Dr David Crum said he wasn't aware of any shortages in Tauranga and 50 dentists should be enough to cope with the city's population.
"Surveys have shown that there is a shortage in the smaller areas but I wouldn't call 50 dentists in Tauranga a shortage."