“We are going to go from 36 to 50 students per class”: in Brest, the university wants to fight against the lack of dentists

Why is there an urgent need to train more future dental surgeons at the Faculty of Dentistry in Brest?

Sylvie Boisramé, director of the UFR of odontology at UBO (University of Western Brittany), in Brest: “Because we are facing a problem of medical demography in our territory. A study by the National Health Insurance Fund, in July 2024, showed that a dental surgeon has the capacity to treat up to 831 patients. However, in Finistère as in Morbihan, there is one dental surgeon for around 1,450 inhabitants! And in Côtes-d’Armor, it is even one for 1,800 inhabitants: this shows the difficulty for the Breton population in accessing oral and dental care in good conditions. The dental emergencies at the university hospital center (CHU) in Brest are also saturated. And we can add to this table the forecasts of positive net migration for Brittany…”.

How are you responding to this challenge?

“The Faculty of Odontology in Brest is one of the sixteen historic faculties in France in this discipline, and still one of the smallest, with that of Nice. I am one of his former students myself, and I am very proud of it. Since its creation, this college has gradually tripled its capacity (number of students that can be accommodated): we were still twelve students per class at my time, for 36 students per class currently. In October 2023, a month after my appointment, we voted unanimously by the university’s teacher-researchers to significantly increase our capacity. The UBO board of directors has validated this orientation: we will therefore go from 36 to 50 students per class, from the start of the school year in September 2025.

The faculty of dentistry will replace its entire fleet of ghost simulators next summer, for around €600,000. (Photo Le Télégramme/Pierre Chapin)

Do you have the real estate capacity to absorb such an increase in staff?

“We know that with 50 students per class, we will be more than cramped in our medical school corridor. But we also know that it is transitory, while waiting to have a new unity of place. This is the next step: we are preparing the Faculty of Dentistry in Brest, a real hospital-university project, for the next 25 years.”

What investment is necessary for this new reception capacity? How do you finance it?

“Today, we have around twenty ghost simulators, on which our students learn the gestures, during practical work in the second and third years. This equipment is all more than twenty years old: we are going to completely change this park, with the power motors, redo the practical room, equip the students with tablets in view of the future reform of the third cycle… The material investment alone is estimated at around €800,000. We have the support of UBO, Brest Métropole, the Department and the Regional Health Agency (ARS). The State has been asked, we hope that it will respond to the increase in our capacity. Then, there is the educational cost: we requested the opening of two positions for the next school year.”

Our idea is to better distribute trainees across the territory, by working with peripheral establishments, in Finistère, but also Côtes-d’Armor and Morbihan.

Do you also use crowdfunding?

“Yes, thanks to the UBO foundation, which offers individuals and companies the possibility of topping up the investment with a free contribution, from €5. This system allows you to benefit from a tax exemption of 66% for individuals and 60% for businesses. So far, around €6,000 has been collected.”

Does the training of students in Brest really guarantee their future installation in our territory?

“A recent study showed that 83% of students trained at the Faculty of Dentistry in Brest, over the last eleven years, subsequently settled in the region. We are also working to promote better territorial coverage. Today, our sixth year students mainly carry out their internship in Brest, at the University Hospital, and two go to Carhaix. Our idea is to better distribute them across the territory, by working with peripheral establishments, in Finistère, but also Côtes-d’Armor and Morbihan. We already have a commitment with the intercommunal hospital center of Quimper, which will welcome two students from the next school year. And we will move to five positions in Carhaix at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026. We also met Landerneau, we are going to see Vannes this week, Saint-Brieuc in December, there is also Lorient, Pontivy… Each time, we work in partnership with establishments, ARS Bretagne and local authorities, which can help in particular with the question of student accommodation”.

How is the UFR of Odontology at UBO planning to enhance its facilities and resources to effectively accommodate an increased ‍number of dental students and ensure they⁤ receive a quality education?

​As the director of the UFR of odontology at UBO,⁣ could you explain the current⁢ situation faced by the Faculty of Dentistry in Brest and why there is ‍such⁣ an urgent need⁢ to train more future dental⁤ surgeons? What are the challenges you are facing in terms of capacity and access to ⁤healthcare for the Breton population?

In response to the increased capacity, how are you ensuring that the faculty ⁣has​ the necessary facilities ‍and equipment to accommodate the additional students?‌ What kind of investment does this require and how ⁣are you⁤ financing it? Do you also plan on collaborating with other​ institutions in the region to distribute trainees more evenly?

Given the high percentage of students who tend to settle in the⁢ region after completing their ‍training, does this guarantee that ‌they will contribute to addressing the shortage of dental care in peripheral areas? What steps are being taken to promote territorial coverage and ensure that graduates‍ disperse across the region? Are there any⁢ specific initiatives or partnerships in place ⁣to encourage graduates to establish themselves in underserved areas?