If you are interested in working as dentist in Denmark / Scandinavia, Medicolink finds it relevant for you to become acquainted with the following information, prior to your recruitment process.
General info on the Danish healthcare system
Healthcare service in Denmark is almost exclusively covered publicly and financed by the five regions. The only real exception is dentistry, which is mostly paid for by the patients themselves. There are however public ways of insuring oneself against the largest part of the bill by becoming a member of Sygeforsikring Danmark (Health insurance Denmark). As this is a cheap way to avoid large bills, almost half the Danish population are members.
Facts on being a dentist in Denmark
In Denmark, dentists work in a team with dental assistants, hygienists and receptionists. Working hours are 37 hours per week i.e. during business hours. Oral hygiene is very important for Danes (typically characterized as preventive dental care). Therefore, general dentists/dental surgeries are the most visited.
Most orthodontists work in a private practice and are self-employed, or employed by the owner of the practice, and earn their living partly through charging fees for treatments and partly by claiming government subsidies for adult care. The government pays for all dental treatment for children, up to the age of eighteen. In more rural areas, where it may be uneconomic to organise a separate public dental service for children some practitioners may be contracted by the municipality to provide this service.
Societies for dentistry
The Danish Dental Association (Dansk Tandlægeforening) aims to keep its members up to date on the latest developments within dental surgery. They also offer opportunities for further education. Through the Danish Dental Association, it is also possible to obtain liability insurance at a lower price than through regular insurance companies. Liability insurance is compulsory for all dentists working in the private sector.
