Staffing Issues

Wisconsin dentists say more dental training programs are needed to grow the state's workforce and alleviate shortages, CBS affiliate WDJT reported Dec. 9.

More than 80 percent of dentists are finding the recruitment of dental hygienists to be "extremely challenging," according to a poll by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The U.S. dental workforce shrunk by 3 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the American Institute of Dental Public Health.

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: