Industry experts say that delays in seeing hygienists and dentists in Guernsey are likely to get worse unless urgent steps are taken to recruit more professionals.
Some dental practices already have waiting times of up to five months for appointments with hygienists, who provide teeth cleaning, polishing, and oral health advice.
Dr. Natasha Flavell, chair of the Guernsey Dentist Association, said the main challenges include an aging workforce, reduced working hours, and recruitment struggles. She warned that high housing costs and expensive rents deter hygienists from moving to the island, despite what she described as a “wonderful lifestyle.” Flavell cautioned that these issues could soon affect the dentist workforce as well.
Ruth Greenslade, a hygienist based in St Peter Port, said that waiting lists at some practices stretch to three or four months. “Patients are very, very grateful to be seen because they are desperate just to try and get appointments,” she said.
Some hygienists are splitting their time between multiple practices to help more patients and shorten queues. Even so, Greenslade noted that Guernsey is slower than Jersey in recruiting for similar roles. She also pointed out that many hygienists leave the profession due to health problems such as hand or back issues, rather than reaching retirement age.
“The ones that are still busy working… we will probably get to a point where we’re a bit burned out,” she said.
Islanders in need of hygiene treatment may still be able to book a one-off appointment with another practice without having to permanently change dentists, Greenslade added.
