More than 80 percent of dentists are finding the recruitment of dental hygienists to be "extremely challenging," according to a poll by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The poll was taken as part of the ADA's monthly "Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry" report for the week of Nov. 14. The ADA collected responses from dentists working in private dental practices. Read more about the methodology here.
Percentage of dentists recruiting the following positions:
Dental hygienists: 34.9 percent
Dental assistants: 35.8 percent
Dentists: 13.8 percent
Administrative staff: 24.7 percent
Percentage of dentists who find recruiting the following positions to be "extremely challenging":
Dental hygienists: 80.1 percent
Dental assistants: 57 percent
Dentists: 61.1 percent
Administrative staff: 47.7 percent