How to Overcome Dental Staffing and Job Satisfaction Issues

dental-retention

Employee retention in the medical and dental fields suffered during the height of the COVID pandemic. The after-effects have coupled with inflation to create a sizeable challenge for dental offices. In fact, the US Senate met to confront the dental staffing crisis.

There has been an uptick in the number of dental assistants and dental hygienists leaving the field. Many dentists are more concerned about staff shortages than low patient demand. This has created a gap that dental offices are feeling pressure to fill.

Key Takeaways:

Staffing levels of dental assistants and dental hygienists are in flux.
Issues for dental staff include not feeling valued, lack of work-life balance, and insufficient pay.
Staff in small practice, part-time, and DSO offices show higher job satisfaction.
Many providers are optimistic with appointment scheduling remaining steady.
Technology is playing a part in helping fill the gaps.

The dental workforce in the U.S. saw a slight dip of three percent during the pandemic. Things have changed since then, but some dental professionals have chosen not to return to their previous workplaces.

Based on an ADA survey, quite a few folks decided to leave their jobs. This includes 62 percent of dental assistants and 80 percent of dental hygienists. On a brighter note, more than half of the dental hygienists and dental assistants are happy with their roles. However, a small number of dental assistants (7 percent) and hygienists (8 percent) did express some dissatisfaction.

The staffing shortage is underscoring how crucial a positive workplace culture is. Team members want to feel valued and empowered where they work. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to staffing challenges, but the better you understand your employees' needs, the better you can adapt and support them.

Female doctor leading a medical team at the hospital

Where do dental staffing issues stand?

There are 6,861 areas in the U.S. that need more dental professionals, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. The U.S. needs about 9,938 dental pros to fill those gaps. Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. estimates that by 2031, we might be short more than 36,000 dental professionals.

Finding dental assistants and hygienists is especially tough, according to a survey from the American Dental Association. A whopping 95% of dentists are having a hard time recruiting hygienists, and over 87% are struggling to hire dental assistants. To make things trickier, the number of graduates from accredited dental hygiene and dental assisting programs has gone down since 2019.

Adding to the challenge, 34% of dental hygienists are thinking about retiring within the next six years, and about 33% of dentist owners have similar plans.

What are the common concerns for staff?

Here are some of the issues raised by dental assistants and hygienists about their experience:

Feeling undervalued as a team member
Decrease in work-life balance.
Lack of growth and advancement opportunities
Workplace culture and philosophy
Insufficient pay and inadequate benefits
Family changes, early retirement

It is worth noting that this discontent is not across the board. Some dental assistants and hygienists are showing satisfaction. This includes people in public health and large or private practices. 67 percent at a practice with one to three dentists reported satisfaction. And 66 percent felt satisfied at a practice with four to nine dentists. A small percentage of DSO and part-time employees also indicated high job satisfaction.

What steps can you take to help your staff?

Dental practices should note how they are performing in these areas so they can adjust their workplace:

Provide proper onboarding and training.
Engage in responsive compensation*
Expand your benefits and paid leave program.
Focus on clear communication.
Review your workplace culture – some professionals see burnout as a “badge of honor.”
Pay attention to signs of mental health concerns among staff.
Support your staff in training and education – Certified Dental Assistants reportedly earn more.
Use technology to automate time-consuming tasks so staff can focus on other areas.

*Many practices have reported increased wages over the past year. But you should manage it on a case-by-case basis. Not every practice can afford to start or continue paying higher wages.

Smiling medical team using laptop to work
Here is the good news:

Where there are issues, there are solutions around the corner. Let’s look at some reasons to be optimistic about the future of dental staffing and office success.

Providers are seeing a stable book of appointments: There is optimism around the recovery of dental practices and the dental sector. The ADA found dental appointment schedules are almost 85 percent full each month. Dental practices are also “very confident” (29.2 percent) or “somewhat confident” (33.7 percent) about the recovery of their practice.
Dental school graduates continue to grow each year: There is an increasing pool of potential staff in the dental field. The ADA showed that 6,665 people graduated dental school in the U.S. in 2021 (up by over 30.5 percent in 2011). Per the American Dental Education Association, 47 percent of students are choosing to become a dentist over going to college. The students also indicated an elevated level of readiness to go into the profession. There is also good news when it comes to student debt. The average education debt is 11% lower than the previous survey (even with inflation). Most of the debt includes dental school loans.
License portability is reducing barriers: The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact is a crucial initiative aimed at reducing barriers to practice across state lines. By facilitating license portability, this compact allows dental professionals to move freely between states, addressing regional shortages and improving workforce mobility. This initiative fills gaps where dental professionals are scarce and enhances career flexibility and opportunities for dental practitioners.
Dental offices are diversifying: There is a movement to revamp the office experience and create a workforce that is more diverse and inclusive. These multifaceted efforts are essential for overcoming current challenges and ensuring the long-term sustainability of dental care services.
Technology is paving the way forward: Dental offices can set themselves apart by adopting more technology. It makes processes less time-consuming for staff and less invasive for patients. This includes dental lasers, intraoral cameras, “insurtech” solutions, Virtual Reality tools and teledentistry

We have all experienced sizable changes in how we work and how patients seek care. So, it's important to keep finding solutions and evolving. We hope these takeaways give you actions you can use to lead your team into a successful future.

For more ideas, you can download our free eBook. It has tips on how to keep patients coming into your practice even during uncertain times.