80 % of health centres can meet health guarantee for dental care
The capacity of Finnish health centres to meet statutory timeframes for providing dental healthcare has improved slightly since last autumn. Timeframes for access to healthcare include oral health. Shortages of dentists and dental nursing staff remain the main reason why some 20% of health centres still fail to meet the timeframe, though this has improved by 3% since 2005.
Most health centres surveyed about the implementation of the health guarantee reported improvements in observing the three-week limit on access to non-emergency dental care. This January, some 16 health centres around the country reported that they experience on-going problems in meeting the timeframe, which is eight less than last August. Just 2% of health centres have waiting lists of over three months for access to a dental nurse. Access to dentists is available within three weeks in a third of health centres, and within three months in 70% of health centres. Some 14 health centres reported waiting periods of over six months, down from 20 last August.
Further information: Ms Anne Nordblad, Head of Development +358 9 160 73240, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Mr Hannu Rintanen +358 9 3967 2456, Stakes