Too much for the teeth: Russian clinics are sorely lacking dentists

There is a significant shortage of dentists in Russian private and public clinics, analysts and market participants told Izvestia. Orthodontists, implantologists, and pediatric dentists are especially in demand. According to various estimates, the shortage of these specialists remains at 15-20%. The shortage of personnel is felt most strongly in small towns. One of the reasons is the outflow of doctors from small towns to large centers, where salaries are higher and more modern equipment is available. About what the current situation can lead to, see the Izvestia article.

Why is there a shortage of dentists

Since the beginning of this year, Russian medical organizations have placed about 25,000 vacancies for dentists, market participants told Izvestia. This is 6% more than in the same period of 2025. The demand for medical assistants has also increased significantly — by 11%.

"Most often, dental vacancies are published by private clinics," the service noted hh.ru — Among the top 20 medical institutions in Russia, which were most actively looking for these specialists, there were only two state clinics. Most of the job offers were published in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Yekaterinburg."

At the same time, in many regions, the demand for dental care seriously exceeds the capabilities of doctors, Rinat Saleev, President of the Russian Dental Association, MD, told Izvestia.

— The shortage of specialists is especially felt in small towns and regions with a lower level of socio-economic development, — he noted. — This happens for various reasons. Firstly, the number of budget places for dentists remains quite small. In addition, in small towns, the availability of private medicine is lower, and young doctors tend to work in commercial clinics with more modern equipment and higher wages.

According to experts, in 2026, the need for dentists in non-governmental medical institutions increased by about 20% compared to 2025. And compared to 2024, it has increased by an average of one and a half times.

"There are not enough qualified specialists," Artur Ibragimov, Managing Director of the Uniclinic Multidisciplinary Medical Center, confirmed. — Among the reasons is the duration and high cost of training. A full-fledged specialist is formed for 7-10 years, taking into account residency and practice. The development of dental care in large cities, primarily in Moscow, is outpacing the pace of graduation and "maturation" of doctors.

Modern technologies, such as digital diagnostics and working with a microscope, require high qualifications and continuous training, he added.

Themselves with fillings: Russians "treat" teeth at home instead of visits to dentists

Self-medication kits from the Internet threaten the development of infections, tooth loss and bone damage, doctors warn

Which doctors are in demand

According to Rosstat's Healthcare in Russia report, 68,000 dentists worked in the country in 2021, 68.9 thousand in 2022, 70.4 thousand in 2023, and 67.2 thousand in 2024.

Gunel Filatova, head of the dental platform Dentalworld, estimated the shortage of dentists in the public sector at 79% of the regulatory requirement.

— This situation has not developed due to the fact that state clinics cannot close vacancies. The point is that the rates are several times less than what is required by the population," she believes. — According to Rosstat, there are only about 2.3 thousand unfilled budget dental vacancies in the country, but if we consider the actual availability of doctors to the population, the picture is different.

According to Gunel Filatova, the influx of young dentists does not yet make it possible to fill the personnel gap associated with the retirement of experienced specialists.

Narrow specialists, including orthodontists, are in particular demand now, Emelin Shevchuk, Director of Digital Diagnostics and Clinical Support at Eurokappa, told Izvestia.

According to Businessstat, the shortage of orthodontists in Russia is estimated at 15% of the required number. In 2025, about 7.9 thousand practitioners worked in the country. By 2030, analysts predict an increase in this figure to only 8.2 thousand. Rapid recruitment is not yet expected.

— The problem is not so much that few medical students choose dentistry. The shortage is much more influenced by the lack of practical experience among graduates," said Emelin Shevchuk. — A lot is lost during the transition from training to independent clinical work. Today, educational institutions do not always have a sufficient clinical base, modern equipment and the ability to fully develop new treatment technologies.

As a result, dentists and orthodontists receive some of their professional skills already in clinics — this stage takes a lot of time, the expert admitted.

In addition, there is an acute shortage of pediatric dentists and maxillofacial surgeons in the country, says Maxim Obushenkov, founder of the Revyline brand and dentist.

— A pediatrician, for example, should understand child psychology in order to provide high—quality help in a situation where a child is scared and in pain, - he said. — Specialists face a great emotional burden and increasing demands on their professional skills, which very often leads to burnout.

Another sought—after specialty is a maxillofacial implantologist, the expert noted.

— To obtain such qualifications and guarantee high—quality treatment, a doctor must go a long way to develop and gain practical experience, - said Maxim Obushenkov. — And this is almost an unacceptable luxury in conditions when the patient needs help right now.

For example, residents of Petrozavodsk have been complaining about unthinkable queues at pediatric dentistry for several years. In early 2026, parents wrote on social media that they had been trying to get an appointment with their child for about eight months, but there were still 400 people ahead. Problems with the recording were also reported in Transbaikalia.

"I waited two months, called, made an appointment, came with acute pain, as a result I had to have a tooth removed, as the inflammation started," the man said on social networks.

The situation with dental assistants is also tense, said Arseniy Snedkov, medical marketer and head of Enjoy Digital. Even in regions where there are no serious personnel problems, the quality of specialists often leaves much to be desired, he said.

In response to a request from Izvestia, the Russian Ministry of Health reported that in 2025, more than 38.8 thousand doctors provided medical dental care in state and municipal organizations, including pediatric dentists, orthopedic dentists, dental therapists and dental surgeons.

"In 2026, as in the past, there is no shortage of dentists in the field of dentistry in medical organizations participating in the implementation of the state guarantees program," the department stressed.

One of the main mechanisms for providing the healthcare industry with personnel is targeted (targeted) training of the necessary specialists with subsequent employment in medical organizations, the Ministry of Health concluded.

I'll give you a tooth: the cost of dental appointments has increased by one and a half times

The most expensive specialist services were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

How the shortage of doctors affects patients

A shortage of qualified personnel can lead to a decrease in the availability and quality of dental care, Rinat Saleev believes. At the same time, the shortage of specialists is unlikely to affect the cost of services, in his opinion.

"There is serious competition between private clinics, so unjustified price increases will lead to an outflow of patients," the doctor explained. — In addition, the cost of treatment largely depends not on the desire of the organization to raise prices, but on the cost of consumables and high-tech equipment.

Artem Koltsov, managing partner of the Intan network, has a different opinion. According to him, staffing shortages in the commercial sector, on the contrary, can lead to higher prices for medical services.

"Clinics have to train their staff on their own, but this process takes time," he said in an interview with Izvestia. — The shortage of specialists increases competition for personnel and may lead to the closure of small companies in the future. Doctors will choose more reliable employers, and small players will have to significantly raise salaries. As a result, this may lead to higher prices for medical services, as well as a decrease in their quality.

Emelin Shevchuk noted that the shortage of specialists increases the burden on doctors and limits the ability of patients to get an appointment on time. According to him, the shortage of staff is particularly noticeable in orthodontics: treatment lasts for months and requires regular check-ups and corrections.

— If the doctor does not have free windows and the patient cannot get to the appointment on time, the treatment may be delayed.

According to Maxim Obushenkov, in small towns, the possibility of restoring the specialty "dentist" — a specialist with secondary medical education - is being discussed.

"High—quality dental care is practically unavailable there," he said. — There is a shortage of staff in the field, an appointment for months in advance and unaffordable prices in private clinics. Due to lack of money and time, patients are increasingly postponing treatment and not even receiving preventive care.

The lack of regular monitoring is especially dangerous for children: deterioration of the condition of baby teeth can disrupt the proper development of permanent teeth and eventually lead to orthodontic and periodontal problems, the expert noted.

— Postponing a visit to a specialist is fraught not only with dental problems, — Maxim Obushenkov warned. — Diseases of the oral cavity do not go away by themselves, but progress, leading to tooth loss, inflammation and general deterioration of well-being.

In addition, infections of teeth and gums can spread to surrounding tissues, and bacteria can enter the bloodstream during inflammation. This creates a risk of infection spreading through the body and may contribute to the development of other inflammatory processes, the doctor noted.