Staffing Issues

Florida lawmakers are considering expanding the duties that dental hygienists can perform in the state, the Florida Phoenix reported June 10.  The legislators are revisiting previously considered policies as part of budget negotiations. The state House of Representatives proposed amending…

The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville and Titusville (Pa.) Area Hospital to launch the state’s first regional training center. The center will train general practice dental residents, hygienists and…

There are currently 7,063 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to new data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The HRSA updated its dashboard showing data on health workforce shortage areas June 3.  The dashboard also shows…

The Academy of General Dentistry and the Nevada Academy of General Dentistry are opposing a Nevada bill that would establish alternative pathways for hygiene licensure. Five notes: 1. Certain sections of Nevada Senate Bill 495 would allow individuals to obtain…

The American Dental Hygienists Association has expressed its opposition to a Nevada bill that establishes alternative pathways for hygiene licensure, according to a May 22 news release from the organization. Here are three things to know:

The Illinois Senate is considering a bill that would provide dental students with a temporary license to alleviate dentist shortages, according to a May 15 report from Illinois Policy.  Here are five things to know:

Practices looking to add new dentists to their office shouldn’t forget to look beyond their candidates’ career skills, according to Barry Lyon, DDS. Dr. Lyon, the dental director for Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics and the chief clinical auditor…

Here are five pieces of legislation being introduced, passed or signed that are impacting the dental staffing industry, as reported by Becker’s since March 26:

Two interstate compacts have come into play in recent months as an innovative solution to the dental industry’s workforce shortages. The two compacts have key differences, but some states are considering joining both. Here is where both compacts stand so…

The Iowa House of Representatives has passed a bill that permits dental assistants in the state to work without registering, according to an April 23 report from ABC 9.  In order to address the shortage of dental assistants in the…