Dentists seeing few patients but providing more services

Australian private general practice dentists are working fewer hours on average per year, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The time spent working has declined in recent years, after being relatively stable from 1983 to 2003.In 2003, dentists worked an average of 1713 hours per year, but in 2009, this figure was only 1564.
The report, Visits supplied in dental practice in Australia, shows the number of patient visits per dentist per hour is also lower than it has been in the past.
The decline in patient visits has been associated with an increase in the number of services provided per visit. This includes diagnostic and preventive services, and trends towards retention of natural teeth.