Overcoming Dental Staffing Shortages

One of the dental industry’s biggest challenges is finding and retaining talented individuals for all positions.  According to the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, more than a third of dentists said they are actively recruiting hygienists and/or dental assistants.

Many dental practices and dental service organizations (DSOs) struggle with staff shortages in other positions. By the year 2032, it is estimated that the United States could be down by more than 36,000 dental workers, which could heavily impact staff productivity and the patient experience. So why the uptick in dental staffing shortages?   

Dental Staffing Shortages: Feeling the Burn  

The Mayo Clinic defines job burnout as a type of work-related stress that leads people to feel worn out physically or emotionally. In 2023, one out of ten dentists in the United States admitted to struggling with burnout on the job. Individuals with this level of exhaustion may experience:  

• Self-doubt in their skills or abilities  
• Lack of energy  
• Difficulty focusing  
• Trouble sleeping  
• Less patience with colleagues and patients  

When people feel like they are not important, it creates a poor culture, more burnout, increased turnover, and lower production. “Many employees feel undervalued, overworked, and underpaid,” said Ian Prendergast, co-founder and CEO of Toothio, a dental staffing agency that specializes in finding qualified dental professionals.

Creative Solutions to the Dental Staffing Challenges  

During the pandemic, people quickly figured out how to work remotely, but this often did not apply to the dental industry. In fact, 7,500 hygienists left the dentistry practice during this time. Dentists are now saying that recruiting hygienists is even more challenging now than pre-pandemic, according to the Journal of Dental Hygiene.  

And this applies to other dental positions as well. “We’re seeing a disturbing trend where in the next five years,” said Prendergast. “We need to get more efficient in how we operate our practices and get creative about how we’re recruiting the staff to support the practices.”  This means finding thoughtful dental staffing solutions to support and maintain a full staff, including:  

• Job sharing  
• Hiring temp and part-time hygienists and dental assistants  
• Implementing technology to reduce manual tasks  
• Outsourcing remote work opportunities  
• Creating their own dental assisting schools  

“Were in the middle of an evolution in the labor force right now,” said Prendergast. “It’s happening across multiple verticals, not just dental. People are prioritizing a new way to work, a new work-life balance. They want to be able to make money, they want to be able to take vacations with their families, they want to be able to watch their kids, and still engage in the industry that they love.”     

Leveraging Dental Technology and Tools  

A great way to help reduce employee burnout and shortages is by utilizing dental technology and tools that already exist in your dental practice. Using cloud-based systems also enables teams in multiple locations to access patient files and information. This provides the flexibility that helps dental groups overcome staffing challenges.  

“Start by doing a workplace assessment to see how teams are using the systems today,” said Jill Nesbitt, founder and CEO of Optimize Dental Consulting, a company that optimizes technology for dental group practices.  

“They may not even realize there are built-in tools that will save them time and make them more efficient,” said Nesbitt. “Denticon, in particular, has a really strong functionality that can help streamline online scheduling, collections, insurance claim processing, and posting payments.” 

Developing Efficient Dental Processes 

With effective dental technology in place, dental groups and practices should next identify opportunities to improve efficiencies and processes: 

• Discuss with the team what will have the greatest impact.  
• Determine the key metrics you will measure to evaluate success.  
• Update documents and standard operating procedures (SOPs). 
• Establish a deadline for full adoption of the updated SOPs.  
• Conduct ongoing team training. 
• Track key metrics and report on success.  

 Another way to leverage technology is to train new team members.  Some dental groups have even created their own dental assisting schools to attract new people and will pay them during the training process. 

Enhancing the Dental Patient Experience  

Having modern technology can help attract high-quality talent and streamline tasks to save time and energy. But why else should you invest in innovative technology? Your dental patients expect you to have it—and your team will love you for it.  

From online scheduling to electronic appointment reminders to automated text-to-pay messages, your patients prioritize convenience and time-saving tools that let them manage their healthcare appointments and bills efficiently.  

In addition, online scheduling has proven particularly useful, with target millennials and zoomers preferring online booking (73%) to phone calls, a significant way that saves valuable time for everyone.  

“We want to make your job easier,” said Nesbitt. “We want you to enjoy what you are doing and feel like how you spend your time is meaningful and efficient. We have invested in tools and technology that can do a lot of the work we used to do manually and want to make sure we’re using it to free up your time to focus on patients as much as possible.”  

Dental Staffing the Right Way 

“When we have great team members aligned with the vision, who live our core values, who have clear expectations and see a path for growth within our organization, they are going to be happier, they are going to be more productive, and they are going to refer their friends to come work for you,” said Josalyn Sewell, founder of joyFULL People, a registered dental hygienist (RDH) culture and confidence coach.  

Sewell specializes in setting up systems that create cohesive teams and well-run workplaces, where people want to join and want to stay.  She speaks about the core values that are essential guiding principles to hiring the right person:

• Heart: Excited to have the position  
• Head: Right knowledge base 
• Hands: Right skills for the job  

For example, if the core value is being growth-oriented, you may want to ask a potential candidate: “Tell me about a time when you took on a responsibility that helped you grow professionally.”  It’s also important to use the first ninety days to confirm the person is the right fit for your company.  

Retaining Your Dental Team 

In a competitive job market, how do you keep your talented team members? A successful method is to replace your traditional annual reviews with a shorter feedback cycle. This process may include:  

• Interview  
• Onboard 
• Train 
• Engage  
• Monthly feedback  
• Quarterly reviews   

Several dental practices and groups have started “stay” interviews in addition to exit interviews, a method of checking in and keeping your dental team happy, the perfect way to unlock their potential and energy—and keep them there for the long haul. 

For more tips, read the full Overcoming Staffing Shortages e-book or check out our on-demand webinar about implementing the right processes, technologies, and solutions to alleviate these shortages.