The dental workforce is seeing big shifts this year as the industry faces increased dentist retirement and additional hiring challenges with dental assistants.
Here are five workforce trends to know:
1. Dental assistant hiring and retention is getting a negative forecast due to mounting workforce challenges, including increased burnout and higher turnover rates.
2. The dental industry could be seeing improvements in hygiene staffing as job satisfaction and retention rates are on the rise.
3. The Dentist & Dental Hygienist Compact is gaining momentum across the U.S. as several states consider legislation to join.
4. Pediatric dentistry has seen the largest increase in the workforce since 2001, according to data from the American Dental Association.
5. 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.
