title: The international migration of dentists: directions for research and policy.
abstract: In 2010, the World Health Organization Global Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health Personnel (the WHO Code) was adopted by the 193 Member States of the WHO. The WHO Code is a tool for global diplomacy, providing a policy framework to address the challenges involved in managing dentist migration, as well as improving the retention of dental personnel in source countries. The WHO Code recognizes the importance of migrant dentist data to support migration polices; minimum data on the inflows, outflows and stock of dentists are vital. Data on reasons for dentist migration, job satisfaction, cultural adaptation issues, geographic distribution and practice patterns in the destination country are important for any policy analysis on dentist migration. Key challenges in the implementation of the WHO Code include the necessity to coordinate with multiple stakeholders and the lack of integrated data on dentist migration and the lack of shared understanding of the interrelatedness of workforce migration, needs and planning. The profession of dentistry also requires coordination with a number of private and nongovernmental organizations. Many migrant dentist source countries, in African and the South-Asian WHO Regions, are in the early stages of building capacity in dentist migration data collection and research systems. Due to these shortcomings, it is prudent that developed countries take the initiative to pursue further research into the migration issue and respond to this global challenge.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.|FDI World Dental Federation, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Madhan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: David Simon
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephanie Doris
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Short
mesh_terms: D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction
keywords: dentists; global organizations; health policy; international cooperation; migration