Current status of supply of and demand for dental technicians in Japan: Evaluation and countermeasures against the decrease in the number of dental technicians

In recent years, the number of dental technicians (DTs) in Japan has fluctuated around 35,000. However, this number is expected to decline dramatically in future, given the increase in the number of older DTs and marked decline in the number of younger DTs. This is a review of various reports analyzing the supply of and demand for DTs in Japan and a description of prospective measures to ensure a sufficient supply of DTs in future. Several previous reports have suggested that the number of DTs will fall more rapidly than the demand. However, there are only few quantitative assessments of the supply of and demand for DTs, and extensive investigation of how the decrease in numbers will affect the future of dental services is required. The role of each Japanese dental profession, that is, dentists, dental hygienists, and dental technicians, is well-defined; they are to provide dental services to the Japanese people. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the required number of each dental profession in future. For clarity on the social situation of DTs and to help in taking immediate measures, it is important to analyze the supply and demand of DTs from various perspectives, such as region.