Here are 10 dental staffing updates for industry leaders to know:
1. Pediatric dentistry has seen the largest increase in the workforce since 2001, according to data from the American Dental Association.
2. Although the supply of dentists in the U.S. has increased by 24% since 2001, that growth has slowed in recent years due to an increase in retirement.
3. Cheney, Wash.-based Eastern Washington University is planning a master’s in dental therapy program.
4. Petoskey-based North Central Michigan College unanimously approved a dental hygiene degree, the school’s first for-credit dental offering.
5. Maine Rep. Anne-Marie Mastraccio prefiled a bill for the 2026 legislative session that would expand the scope of practice for independent dental hygienists.
6. A Florida House Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee advanced a bill to authorize the practice of dental therapists.
7. Philadelphia-based Temple University received a $2 million federal grant to help build its new rural education center.
8. GoTu Technology, a dental staffing platform, received a $45 million growth investment to expand across the U.S.
9. Dental patients in Vermont are waiting more than a year for routine cleanings due to the shortage of dental hygienists in the state.
10. The Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition, which includes several dental organizations, wrote a letter to lawmakers urging them to boost investments for the healthcare workforce.
