Staffing Issues

Here are five dental workforce updates Becker's has reported on since Oct. 11:

More dentists are concerned with staffing shortages at their practices than low patient demand, according to an October survey from the American Dental Association. 

Forty-six percent of dental assistants who voluntarily left the field did so because of insufficient pay, according to the American Dental Association's "Dental Workforce Shortages" report.

According to the American Dental Association's "Dental Workforce Shortages" report, 42.9 percent of dental hygienists voluntarily left the field because of the culture.

More than 30 percent of dental practices in the U.S. are recruiting dental assistants and hygienists, according to a recent poll by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.  

The American Dental Association recently gave tips on factors dental professionals should consider before taking a new job. 

Beckers' reported on three workforce shortages and solutions in the dental industry since Aug. 26:

The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is launching a 14-month paid apprenticeship program for dental assistants to address workforce shortages.

Portland, Maine-based Community Dental will close two of its six Maine locations due to workforce shortages, CBS affiliate WGME reported.

Hygienists remained the most challenging role for dentists to recruit in August, according to a poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.