In the past, making a dental appointment was not difficult in Helsinki, Oulu and Turku. All three cities have training facilities for dental students.
However Anne Nordblad, the Head of Development at the Ministry, said the shortage of dentists is now also affecting Helsinki. Oulu and Turku are also said to be facing shortages. Still, officials say health centres in eastern Finland are most affected by the lack of dentists.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Education to increase the number of dentistry study spots by 35. Sakari Karjalainen, the Director General of the Education Ministry, told YLE that additional study spots could be granted next year. A decision on the matter is expected by the end of the year.