A major contributor to the shortage is the trend of older assistants and hygienists retiring and the pipeline not producing enough new staff to keep up.
Uptown Dental, a practice in Albert Lea, Minn., is one of the few providers in the area that accepts Medicare and Medicaid, causing it to be fully booked out until the spring. To keep up with demand, the practice has a few dental therapists that can perform fillings, stainless steel crowns and simple tooth extractions.
The Minnesota Department of Health is trying to bring more staff into the field by offering loan forgiveness options and hygienist collaborative practice work programs where dental hygienists provide care in community settings under the supervision of a dentist.
The department is also pushing dental school students to complete rotations in more rural areas with the hope that some will opt to practice in those areas after graduation, the report said.
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