Staffing Issues

Here are six dental therapy updates that Becker's has covered in 2024:

The rate at which Vermont has lost dental providers over the last few years has led to poor oral health among residents, vtdigger reported Nov. 21.

The Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners recently adopted new regulations for dental therapists. 

A new California law that removes barriers to becoming an orthodontic assistant was recently passed.

The Wilkesboro, N.C.-based Wilkes Community College of Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a dental hygiene program, according to a Nov. 13 report by Wilkes Journal-Patriot.

Employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow by 9% by 2033, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The dental industry is continuing to work through staffing problems, with the U.S. needing more than 10,000 dental practitioners to fill shortages.

There are nearly a dozen new and amended employment laws going into effect in California that dentists and dental practices need to know, according to an Oct. 31 news release from the California Dental Association.  

Montana is working to keep up with the demand in dental care while facing a dental hygienist shortage, KRTV reported Oct. 30.

Phoenix-based Toothio, a dental staffing marketplace, has received an additional $5 million in financing.