Dentists in Portugal triple in 20 years, but labor market feels pressure
The number of registered professionals at OMD grew by 174% between 2005 and 2025, with a higher concentration in Porto and Lisbon.
By Rui Tavares Fonseca
••4 min read
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Generic image of dental instruments on a sterile tray, with focus on the instruments and blurred background.
Portugal currently has 16,571 dentists registered with the Order of Dentists (OMD), more than triple the number from 20 years ago, with 83.7% having active registration.
Between 2005 and 2025, the number of dentists with active registration at the Order of Dentists (OMD) rose from 5,056 to 13,876, an increase of 174%. During this period, the profession has undergone profound transformations, including the predominance of the female gender (from 50% to 63.2%), internationalization (32% of new registrations in 2025 are foreign professionals), and a quadrupling of suspended registrations for practicing abroad (from 13.4% to 56.3%).
The study “The Order's Numbers” highlights the gap compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. At the end of 2025, the national ratio was 822 inhabitants per dentist with active registration (121.7 per 100,000 inhabitants), below the recommended 1,500 to 2,000 inhabitants per professional. This scenario indicates increasing pressure on the labor market, exacerbated by the unequal distribution of professionals across the national territory.
In the Porto Metropolitan Area, there is one dentist for every 557 inhabitants, and in Greater Lisbon, one for every 827. In contrast, in the Alentejo Litoral, the ratio rises to 2,287 inhabitants per professional, and in Baixo Alentejo, to 2,028. The analysis reveals that 43.9% of the net growth in professionals was concentrated in the Porto Metropolitan Area and Greater Lisbon, demonstrating a lack of balanced distribution across the country.
Suspended registrations at the OMD have nearly quintupled, from 532 in 2005 to 2,583 in 2025 (an increase of over 385%). In the last year alone, the number of professionals in this situation increased by 7.3%. Practicing abroad remains the primary reason for suspension, accounting for 1,455 dentists (56.3%). Considering the 420 professionals who indicate absence from the country, 72.6% of suspended registrations are associated with leaving Portugal. France is the main destination, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
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"The numbers show that dentistry has changed profoundly in the last 20 years, but also that the growth in the number of professionals, by itself, does not solve the profession's challenges. It is fundamental to ensure adequate planning of training and human resources in oral health, taking into account population needs, regional disparities, and professional conditions. The challenge also involves creating mechanisms to retain professionals, with the country being considered transversally in terms of territorial cohesion. Portugal has a demographic and opportunity dysfunction from a territorial perspective that must be considered in how these resources are distributed and integrated into the health system."
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"A career in dentistry within the National Health Service will be a principle for retaining professionals, but more is needed: a pact for oral health based on synergies between governments, politicians, and leaders, planned from a generational perspective. We continue to train professionals who do not find space in the labor market, and a high percentage of the population still lacks access to oral health care."
The demographic profile has also shifted: 63.2% of active dentists are women, a proportion that rises to 73.5% among professionals under 35 years old. The average age has increased from 35.8 years in 2005 to 42 years in 2025. Internationalization has also grown, with foreign professionals representing 32% of new registrations in 2025, compared to 8.5% in 2005.
Projections up to 2029 indicate that Portugal could reach 15,700 active dentists, with a ratio of 755 inhabitants per professional. The OMD warns about the need for reflection on the profession's sustainability and advises candidates for dentistry courses to consider employment and professional practice conditions in Portugal. The Order also emphasizes the need for a structured review of public policies for education and postgraduate training.
The special 2026 edition of “The Order's Numbers” marks the study's 20th anniversary, analyzing the evolution of dentistry in Portugal and identifying future challenges. The data, reported as of December 31, 2025, reflects the demographic, educational, and labor evolution of the profession in the country.
