Lower Saxony dentists strike Thursday over unsustainable working conditions
Dentists across Lower Saxony will close their dental practices on Thursday in a one-day strike. The protest follows similar actions by pharmacists and GPs, with dental practitioners demanding better working conditions. Rising costs, strict budgets, and heavy bureaucracy have made running a dental practice increasingly difficult, according to organisers.
The strike is led by the Free Association of German Dentists (FVDZ), the country’s largest dental professional body. Its Lower Saxony branch alone represents over 1,500 members out of the association’s 30,000 nationwide. Dr. Markus Braun, a Celle-based dentist since 1995, took over as the state association’s chairman in September.
Thursday's closure marks the latest in a series of protests by healthcare workers in Germany. Dentists are calling for urgent changes to ease financial pressures and reduce administrative burdens. Without intervention, the trend of practice closures and staff shortages is expected to persist.
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