"Dentistry" in Jordan: Rising Costs and Doctors Seeking Opportunities

The Dean of the Jordanian Dental Association, Dr. Aya Al-Asmar, confirmed that the rising prices of dental treatment are linked to the increased operational costs of clinics, from wages and energy to equipment and medical supplies, alongside the rising cost of dental studies themselves, while the purchasing power of citizens has not seen a parallel development.

She pointed out in an interview with "Al-Rai" that this has led some patients to postpone treatments that they do not consider urgent or necessary, and to look for services covered by insurance, emphasizing the need to treat oral and dental health as a fundamental part of public health, not a supplementary service.

According to Al-Asmar, the number of dentists registered in the syndicate is about 13,500, while the number of unemployed is estimated at about 4-5 thousand dentists, and the percentage may approach 50%, with the possibility of a slight decrease due to doctors who have obtained jobs and have not updated their data.

Conversely, the number of new entrants to the profession has accelerated, as the annual number has increased from about 300-400 dentists a few years ago, to 500-600, then 800 and 1,000, reaching about 1,400 dentists in the recent period, in addition to more than 1,000 dentists on internship seats.

She stressed that the rise in unemployment does not mean that Jordan does not need dentists, as areas and governorates still need more services, calling for a geographical survey that links the health needs of the population to the distribution of doctors, along with providing tax incentives and easy loans to encourage graduates to work in less serviced areas.

The cost of setting up a clinic is another obstacle for young dentists, as Al-Asmar explained that the cost varies according to location and equipment, and may start at an estimated 20-25 thousand dinars for a clinic with one chair, while it may reach about 50 thousand when modern equipment and technologies are introduced.

She pointed out that the syndicate proposed within legislative amendments to allow two dentists to work on one chair at different times, which would reduce the cost of setting up clinics and provide an opportunity for another doctor to work.

On the issue of wages, Al-Asmar revealed that the dental fee schedule in use dates back to 1999, and that more than half of the procedures currently in the profession are not mentioned in it, due to the significant development that dental medicine has witnessed over 27 years.

She pointed out that the syndicate has been working since the beginning of 2026 on a new schedule that determines the minimum and maximum limits of wages and includes modern treatments, in a way that protects the patient and the doctor, in parallel with discussions to expand insurance coverage.

Al-Asmar noted that prevention, primary care, and simple treatments are less costly in the long term than implants, restorations, and complex treatments, while warning at the same time that "price burning" may come at the expense of the quality of treatment and sterilization and safety standards.

The file of impersonating a dentist and unlicensed practices is highlighted as one of the most dangerous files, as Al-Asmar said that the syndicate dealt with at least 50-60 cases of impersonation in Amman alone over about a year, while the number of unlicensed clinics referred to the competent authorities exceeded 100-150 clinics.

She added that the syndicate referred about 200 files related to various violations during a year, and estimated the number of clinics whose files were sent for closure at about 150 clinics, noting that the level of achievement in closing them is estimated at about 30% due to the burden on regulatory authorities.

She revealed a case detected in recent months of a person performing dental implants despite not having completed school, calling for the imposition of harsher penalties and amending the Public Health Law, and stressing that the practice of dentistry by unqualified persons may threaten the lives of patients due to the possibilities of bleeding or severe allergies, or the transmission of diseases in the absence of proper sterilization.

Regarding the confrontation of illegal advertisements on social media, Al-Asmar considered that monitoring and cooperation with the cybercrime unit contributed to reducing the number of pages monitored by the syndicate from at least 80 pages to about 10-12 pages, noting that many advertisements that include discounts and commercial offers are not from dentists.

She continued that hundreds of cases were referred to investigation committees, confirming that the new advertising regulations, included in legislative amendments, aim to prevent misleading and unscientific claims and commercial promotion that is offensive to the profession.

On oral and dental health in children, Al-Asmar confirmed that she does not have accurate recent numbers, but the numbers circulating in various studies and data are around 70% for tooth decay, which she described as a high percentage.

She linked this to changing lifestyles, the abundance of fast food, beverages, and intermittent meals, and the weakness of the culture of prevention, calling for the enhancement of school examinations in public and private schools.

On the issue of cosmetic dentistry, she warned against performing teeth whitening and veneers without a clear need, stressing that any cosmetic intervention that is not therapeutic must be preceded by offering the option of non-intervention, alternatives, and the advantages and risks of each option, while expanding the application of "informed consent" which she said exists in Jordan but is not widely spread.

Al-Asmar revealed a project to launch a QR code for each dentist that allows the patient to verify the dentist's name, license, specialty, and the license of the establishment, considering it a tool to combat impersonators and unlicensed clinics and enhance confidence in medical tourism.

On the future of the profession, she emphasized that the market has reached a state of "saturation and severe pressure", but at the same time, the problem is treatable through a national project that links the number of graduates to the absorptive capacity of the labor market, and expands opportunities for specialization, operation, and distribution across the governorates.

Al-Asmar stressed that the continuation of the current number of graduates requires a parallel increase in operational capacity, considering that the file has reached a stage that requires national decisions involving the ministries of health, higher education, and concerned authorities, instead of looking at thousands of graduates as a crisis, and working to invest them as a national and professional wealth.