Dentists and patients in Fairfax County, Va., are struggling with the lack of dental hygienists in the state, the Fairfax County Times reported July 17.
Eight notes:
1. Virginia’s hygienist workforce currently falls short of the national average, with 60.5 hygienists per 100,000 people in the state, compared to 65.04 nationally.
2. In Fairfax County, there are only 40 hygienists for every 100,000 people.
3. The shortage has led to dentists often performing hygiene services, and patients having to schedule appointments in advance.
4. Some patients have struggled to book appointments at all because of the shortage.
5. Ryan Dunn, the CEO of the Virginia Dental Association, told the Fairfax County Times that while there is enough interest in becoming a hygienist, the state does not have enough programs to meet the demand.
6. The state is only graduating about 135 dental hygienists each year.
7. The Northern Virginia Community College plans to expand its hygiene program in the next few years, while a for-profit educational program has also committed to opening a hygiene school soon.
8. Despite the possibility of new programs, there are still questions about how the state will fund these initiatives and the time it will take to fill shortages.
