Staffing Issues

The shortage of dental hygienists has led to a scheduling backlog of up to 10 months at a Vermont practice, according to a May 2 report by CBS affiliate WCAX.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued a new rule expanding eligibility for overtime pay.

Here are 12 updates covered by Becker's that show how the dental industry is dealing with workforce shortages:

Here are 11 dental staffing updates Becker's has covered since March 6: 

The dental industry faces a significant challenge in hiring and retaining qualified staff. This issue threatens practice growth, positive culture, patient & employee satisfaction, and sustainability.

Texas City, Texas-based College of the Mainland is set to launch a dental hygiene associate degree program.

The American Dental Association expressed its support for the A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which aims to boost workforce development and training programs for dental hygienists and dental assistants.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed Legislative Document 2137 into law, which allows the state to join the dentist and dental hygienist interstate compact.

Suncoast Career Academy opened a training facility in Brandon, Fla., to help alleviate the state's dental assistant shortage, according to an April 18 report by ABC affiliate WFTS.

Dental assistants and hygienists remain the most challenging roles to recruit for dental practices, according to a report from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.