Staffing shortages, rising costs and low payer reimbursements are three persistent challenges that have faced dentists for the last several years.
Here is a deep dive on how these challenges are affecting dentists:
Staffing shortages
COVID-19 exacerbated ongoing workforce shortages, particularly affecting the recruitment of dental assistants and hygienists. These two roles have continued to be the most challenging roles for practices to recruit and retain, leading to salary increases and shifting business practices to try to alleviate the issue. However, few are seeing relief.
Huzefa Kapadia, DDS, the owner of Detroit Sterling Dental and Kapadia Dental Care in Waterford, Mich., told Becker’s last year that he expected dental professionals to return to the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: 3 challenges the dental industry can’t shake / Becker’s Dental