The Association of Dental Support Organizations launched a task force to address staffing issues in dental practices.
The task force, which is composed of member companies and other partners in the dental industry, will research and explore issues impacting the ability of dental practices to recruit and retain staff.
The most prevalent problems for recruiting dental hygienists and assistants include the cost of training programs, education and licensing requirement regulations and the perception of the roles as viable career paths, according to a Jan. 24 news release from the ADSO shared with Becker's.
Potential solutions the task force will explore include license portability, streamlined credentialing and consistent education standards, the release said.
Once the task force's work is completed, the ADSO will provide recommendations to help dentists and dental practices boost staffing levels.