With staffing shortages and workforce challenges continuing to create problems for dental practices, more offices are turning to a combination of temporary and permanent staff members, according to a new report from Cloud Dentistry, a dental staffing platform.
The company’s “State of the Dental Industry 2026 Report” surveyed more than 1,300 of its platform’s users, including nearly 1,200 dental professionals as well as 130 dental office and DSO representatives.
Here are seven things to know from the report:
- More than 80% of dental offices said finding qualified employees is their biggest challenge, followed by ensuring culture fit (51%), managing salary expectations (46%), retaining employees long-term (34%) and reducing call-offs (20%).
- Nearly two-thirds of dental practices said they have needed same-day coverage for an open shift.
- More than half of dental offices prefer a mix of temporary and permanent staff, while 40% of offices focus only on full- or part-time employees. Less than 10% of practices use temporary staff exclusively.
- Candidate quality and quantity are the top priority that dental offices are looking for in a staffing partner.
- About 40% of dental professionals prefer private practice, but more than 58% do not have a preference on practice setting.
- Three-quarters of dental professionals surveyed are open to working for a DSO.
- More than 80% of dental professionals are open to last-minute bookings that are same-day or short-notice requests.
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