There were 214,700 active dental hygienists in the U.S. in 2022, an increase of 64,820 hygienists since 2001, according to the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Here are four updates on dental therapy legislation that Becker's has reported on in 2023:

Wisconsin legislators recently introduced a bill that would allow dental therapists to practice in the state, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Nov. 6.

Dental assisting training and apprenticeship programs have been approved at the state level in Montana and Utah to help combat workforce shortages.

Dentists that are affiliated with DSOs are more concerned with staffing shortages than dentists that are not DSO-affiliated, according to a survey from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Approximately two-thirds of dental practices feel they have an adequate number of dental hygienists and dental assistants on staff, according to a survey from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The projected change in employment for oral and maxillofacial surgeons is expected to increase 5% by 2032, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The U.S. is projected to be short 36,517 dental professionals by 2031. 

The expected percentage change in employment from 2022 to 2032 for orthodontists is 4%, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Colorado Northwestern Community College plans to launch a bachelor of applied science in dental hygiene program. 

Dental and healthcare investment firm Dental Innovation Alliance has invested in Cloud Dentistry.

The University of Maine Augusta will expand its Lewiston clinic with a $655,000 grant, according to an Oct. 18 report by ABC affiliate WMTW. 

LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry expanded its dental hygiene program with an off-campus instructional site. 

The employment rate of dental hygienists and dental assistants is expected to increase 7% by 2032, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The shortage of dental assistants and dental hygienists is causing some practices in Minnesota to cut their hours, according to an Oct. 16 report by NBC affiliate KTTC.

Dentists in Multnomah County, Ore., voted to authorize a strike as negotiations with the county have stalled. 

Patients trying to get an appointment at Southern Smiles Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in College Station, Texas, are facing wait times of up to 10 months, according to an Oct. 11 report by CBS affiliate KBTX.

Mesa (Ariz.) Community College received full accreditation for its dental hygiene program from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. 

Dentists in public health settings are recruiting staff more heavily than general practice dentists, according to a poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. 

The U.S. is projected to be short 36,517 dental professionals by 2031, according to a Sept. 29 report from McKinsey & Co.