No oral health without a workforce? A public health perspective on the UK oral health workforce

The aim of this paper is to provide a public health perspective on achieving a sustainable oral health workforce in the UK. This involves taking a strategic perspective on need, demand and supply, drawing on contemporary sociological theory on professions and workforce governance. Despite having more dental professionals than ever before and a diverse skill mix, people living in the UK are challenged to access to dental care, and disease levels are rising among adults. New models of professionalism and workforce governance are emerging, all of which are impacting what it means to be a health professional in a higher income country at this point in the 21st century. Multiple pressures, including demographic, political, economic, technological, and environmental drivers, necessitate strategic transformation while also shaping professions. A future sustainable workforce will require systems redesign, organisational and workforce development to align with population and professional need. A renewed focus on innovation embracing prevention, equity, humanity, professional engagement, and effective leadership will enable the dental workforce to be reshaped over time to serve current and future generations more effectively. There is indeed no oral health without a workforce but there is also no sustainable workforce without systemic reform.