The shortage of dental hygienists has led to a scheduling backlog of up to 10 months at a Vermont practice, according to a May 2 report by CBS affiliate WCAX.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued a new rule expanding eligibility for overtime pay.

Here are 12 updates covered by Becker's that show how the dental industry is dealing with workforce shortages:

Here are 11 dental staffing updates Becker's has covered since March 6: 

The dental industry faces a significant challenge in hiring and retaining qualified staff. This issue threatens practice growth, positive culture, patient & employee satisfaction, and sustainability.

Texas City, Texas-based College of the Mainland is set to launch a dental hygiene associate degree program.

The American Dental Association expressed its support for the A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which aims to boost workforce development and training programs for dental hygienists and dental assistants.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed Legislative Document 2137 into law, which allows the state to join the dentist and dental hygienist interstate compact.

Suncoast Career Academy opened a training facility in Brandon, Fla., to help alleviate the state's dental assistant shortage, according to an April 18 report by ABC affiliate WFTS.

Dental assistants and hygienists remain the most challenging roles to recruit for dental practices, according to a report from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2453, enacting the state's joining of the dental and dental hygienist interstate compact. 

There are 36 dental professional shortage areas in New Jersey, the lowest-ranked state for children's oral health.

There are 11 dental professional shortage areas in Washington, D.C., the highest-ranked area for children's oral health.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is planning to expand its apprenticeship program for dental assistants to include more than 60 student trainees.

The Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee passed legislation to have the state join the dentist and dental hygienist interstate compact.

There are 33 pediatric dentists in Washington, D.C., the top-ranked place for children's oral health, according to data from WalletHub and KFF.

There are 382 pediatric dentists in New Jersey, the lowest-ranked state for children's oral health, according to data from WalletHub and KFF.

Here are six states that have passed or are considering bills to change dental licensing rules in 2024:

A coalition of dental provider associations and oral healthcare organizations expressed its support for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Act.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay is creating a new program to train a new position in dental practices, according to a March 28 report by NBC26.