The Czech Republic faces a long-term problem with uneven distribution of dentists. At first glance, the statistics look good — almost nine thousand dentists work in the country and their numbers are growing. However, the reality for patients is quite different. While in large cities, especially in Prague, there is a relative abundance of dentists, in smaller towns and regions people wait months, sometimes even a whole year for treatment.
Prague Full, Regions Empty
According to data from the Czech Dental Chamber, the ideal number of patients per dentist should not exceed fifteen hundred people. In reality, however, it is commonly double that. While in Prague there is one dentist for approximately 750 residents, in the Central Bohemian Region one doctor is shared by over two thousand people. The situation is also critical in the Karlovy Vary, Ústí, and Liberec regions. Dentists in the capital are underutilized, while those in the regions have to turn patients away. People who cannot find a dentist in their place of residence have no choice but to travel dozens of kilometers for dental care. At the Prague clinic The Clinic, out-of-Prague patients make up as much as 30 percent of the clientele, most often from the Central Bohemian Region.
Overloaded Emergency Services
Dental emergency services still operate in the Czech Republic, but their operation is long-term threatened. Only 84 function throughout the entire republic, with only three in the Olomouc and Pilsen regions, for example. Due to high patient demand, emergency services are overcrowded and waiting times stretch to several hours. The shortage of emergency services is primarily due to low reimbursement of services provided by health insurance companies. The problem is also a lack of staffing — both dentists and other healthcare personnel. For young dentists, providing acute dental care is rather demotivating, as it is difficult to establish longer-term preventive cooperation with emergency patients. The service previously provided primarily by state hospitals is now being supplemented by private dental clinics.
Young Doctors Head to Cities
The field does attract young people — approximately three hundred students graduate from dental school each year, and from 2028 a new faculty will be added in Ostrava. However, most graduates head to large cities after school, where there is greater potential, career growth opportunities, and higher salaries. Regions try to motivate new doctors — they offer apartments, fully equipped offices, company cars, or signing bonuses. Nevertheless, most young dentists prefer to live in cities. Any graduate with a diploma and membership in the Czech Dental Chamber can open a dental practice — unlike general practitioners, dentists do not need any specialized training. The situation thus remains paradoxical: the Czech Republic has enough dentists, but many people cannot access treatment.
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