Here are four updates about how workforce shortages are affecting dental practices:

The Edgar County (Ill.) Public Health Department is struggling to find a dentist for its dental program, and healthcare professionals say the low salary is to blame, The Prairie Press reported April 24.

Employment in offices of dentists has increased by 23,000 employees compared to March 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Report from April 7. 

Dentists in Massachusetts could see success retaining staff as the state has the lowest job resignation rate in the U.S., according to personal finance website WalletHub.

Oregon legislators are supporting two bills in the House of Representatives that would get rid of written tests for dental assistants, according to an April 6 report by The Lund Report.

Dentists in Kentucky may struggle to retain staff as the state has the highest job resignation rate in the U.S., according to personal finance website WalletHub.

Patients in Southern Nevada can wait four months for an appointment due to a shortage of dental hygienists in the area, ABC affiliate KTNV reported April 5.

The University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry created a new training program to help alleviate the national dental assistant shortage. 

Dental practices are still having trouble hiring dental hygienists and assistants, with 33.7 percent of practices actively recruiting the positions, according to a poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

A coalition of dental organizations urged the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to address challenges contributing to workforce shortages in the dental industry.

North Central Michigan College in Petoskey created a nine-week accelerated dental assistant program to address labor shortages.

Nevada legislators are considering a three-bill package to incentivize dentists and doctors to practice in rural areas of the state, the Las Vegas Sun reported March 8. 

Three states have proposed several pieces of legislation that would make changes to various dental roles, including dental therapists, dental hygienists and dental assistants.

A new law in Colorado will allow the state to begin licensing dental therapists, but a lack of training and resources could hinder the state's ability to bring enough in, The Colorado Sun reported March 10.

Patients of a Kentucky dental practice have to wait months for an appointment due to ongoing dental workforce shortages, CBS affiliate WYMT reported March 7. 

The Wisconsin Dental Association launched a social media campaign to help decrease dental workforce shortages. 

Dental hygienist is the position dentists are having the most difficulty recruiting at their practices, according to a poll from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute.

Several dental companies recently made Forbes' best midsize U.S. employers list for 2023.

Some states are having better luck than others when it comes to staffing, and according to personal finance website WalletHub, employers in New York are having the most success with hiring.

Staffing remains a pain point for dentists, and many anticipate this challenge to continue over the next six months, with 66.3 percent of dentists citing it as a concern, according to a January poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.