Dental practices in Virginia are having trouble with dental hygienist staffing, leading to many practices unable to meet demand for routine cleanings and preventive care, according to an Oct. 8 report from WHRO.
Due to the shortage of dental hygienists, dentists are having to take on more dental hygiene tasks and limiting their ability to complete more complex procedures.
Ryan Dunn, CEO of the Virginia Dental Association, said that the shortage has been partially caused by the lack of training programs in the state.
There are only six community colleges in Virginia with a dental hygiene program. Those programs only graduate 150 hygienists per year, when the state needs nearly 1,000.
The VDA has been pushing for more education and training opportunities to close the hygienist shortage, the report said.
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