Over a third of UK dental graduates are making career decisions influenced by the level of debt they have accrued at university according to a survey by the British Dental Association.

The findings have prompted concerns that areas within the dental profession, like community dental services which already struggle with recruitment and retention, will continue to suffer.

The BDA's survey found that debt among dental graduates continues to rise. Average figures are up 23 per cent on last year alone and, perhaps more alarmingly, the percentage of graduates with debts over £30,000 has more than tripled since 2001

Concerns over debts are making a difference to undergraduate life for many dental students. One in five lived at home while studying, with almost two-thirds of these citing finances as the core reason.

The survey found that the average debt this year amongst final year students in 2003 was £12,700 On average, men have higher debts than women (£13,900 versus £11,600) and students aged 23 or 24 have higher debts than younger or older students (£13,300 versus £12,000 for those aged 21–22 and £10,200 for those aged 25–34).

To subsidise spending, 49 per cent of respondents had taken on a part-time job. The survey was distributed to the 13 UK dental schools in May 2003.