title: International migration of Lithuanian oral health professionals: a survey of graduates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the intentions of general dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, assistants and technicians graduated from Lithuanian educational institutions in 0032010 to engage in practice in foreign countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey was carried out among all graduates (N = 347) general dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, assistants and technicians in Lithuania in 2010. The response rate was 82.7%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  32.4% of graduates from all oral health specialties mentioned their intentions to emigrate from Lithuania. The highest rate of emigration intentions was found among dental assistants (35.5%) and general dentistry graduates (26.9%). Factors related to higher reported intentions to emigrate were relatives or friends residing in other states, self-rating of personal unhappiness, or residing in large cities. As many as every fourth (23.1%) dental hygienist, assistant and technician graduates had already planned, arranged and organised for emigration. Major destination countries are the UK, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Of all oral health professionals, the highest rate of reported intentions to emigrate was among dental hygienists, assistants and technicians, therefore many of them will not join the professional community in Lithuania.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey gives indications about the possible magnitude of emigration of oral health professionals from Lithuania and is the first study of its kind. The results show that Lithuania is a major sending country in the context of international oral health professionals' migration flows.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius Department of Health Care Management, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas: Lithuania The Health Bureau Ltd, Haversham, UK.
authors.forename: Vilija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Janulyte
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puriene
authors.forename: Jadvyga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petrauskiene
authors.forename: Vytaute
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peciuliene
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benzian
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003800:Dental Technicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult