Dental hygienists and dental assistants continue to be the most challenging roles for dentists to recruit, according to the American Dental Association’s “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” report for the third quarter of 2025.
The ADA’s Health Policy Institute surveyed 816 dentists for the report, although the number of responses for each question varies.
Here is how dentists responded to questions about staffing:
Percentage of dentists who have recruited staff in the last three months: 770 total responses
Dental hygienists
Yes: 32.5%
No: 66.9%
Not sure: 0.6%
Dental assistants
Yes: 37.5%
No: 61.8%
Not sure: 0.7%
Dentists
Yes: 12.3%
No: 86.6%
Not sure: 1.1%
Administrative staff
Yes: 26.8%
No: 72.3%
Not sure: 0.9%
Percentage of dentists who found it challenging to recruit staff over the last 3 months: 462 total responses
Dental hygienists
Extremely challenging: 74%
Very challenging: 16.8%
Dental assistants
Extremely challenging: 40.1%
Very challenging: 29.1%
Moderately challenging: 21.1%
Slightly challenging: 7.3%
Dentists
Extremely challenging: 49.5%
Very challenging: 11.6%
Moderately challenging: 18.9%
Slightly challenging: 8.4%
Administrative staff
Extremely challenging: 29.1%
Very challenging: 26.2%
Moderately challenging: 24.3%
Slightly challenging: 13.6%
Percentage of dentists who have filled open dental hygienist and dental assistant positions: 410 total responses
Dental hygienists
Filled: 42.8%
Have not filled: 57.2%
Dental assistants
Filled: 62.3%
Have not filled: 37.7%
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