Staffing shortages, especially when it comes to dental hygienists and dental assistants, have been an ongoing problem for the dental industry with no concrete solution.
Four dentists recently connected with Becker's to share some potential solutions to the industry's shortage.
Question: What are some potential solutions to help alleviate staffing shortages in dentistry?
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Brant Kairit, DMD. Dentist at Senatobia (Miss.) Dental Care: Dental offices need to get ready to train staff themselves.
Bettina Laidley, DMD. Retired dentist: Here are my thoughts on the dental office personnel shortages: No. 1: Programs to expose people interested in science professions should begin in high school or before. Even if they do not know what they are interested in, they could visit their own dentist, talk with him or her and the staff and experience the workings of dentistry. No. 2: High School programs for credit should happen in all high schools to interest students and expose them to hands-on experience. No. 3: Summer internships should be offered to interested students to benefit both the student and the dental office. No. 4: Dental Schools might offer an open house for high school seniors/college students to encourage them to look at the profession seriously. No. 5: Scholarships from dental insurance or dental supply companies could create the spark as well.
William Hunt, DDS. Owner of William Hunt, DDS PA (Forest City, N.C.): We work with local schools to have students rotate through our office. This gives us a good pool of potential candidates. We also have the benefit of working with them, training them, and knowing them to possibly help out others in need for help. The instructors are thrilled for our help and input.
John Vaselaney, DDS. Dental Risk Consultant (Chicago): The need for solutions to staffing challenges can be viewed at the individual practice level as well as at the level of the profession. An individual practice can help alleviate its own staffing shortages in a number of ways. To that end, dentists should, at a minimum: Model as well as foster a friendly, respectful, safe and caring working environment, compensate staff with a competitive wage, go above and beyond required training and provide opportunities for staff to grow their skills. If we look at the clinical staffing shortages through a broader lens, it is clear that the number of additional skilled clinical staff members the dental profession needs is greater than what existing dental hygiene and dental assisting training programs can produce. In my opinion, dentistry needs a multi-faceted approach to the clinical staffing shortage. Dentists and dental organizations need to advocate for and support the creation of additional training programs for clinical staff, as well as the expansion of class sizes in existing training programs. Going forward, dentists and organized dentistry need to be more involved in supporting this growth.