Dental leaders across the U.S. are voicing a mix of concern, adaptation and cautious optimism as staffing shortages continue to reshape practices, patient access and the future workforce.
Here’s what five dental leaders have told Becker’s recently about the state of staffing issues:
Dan Bishop, DDS, PhD. Dentist at Metroplex Endodontics and Microsurgery (Duncanville and Mansfield): It’s not just this year, but we have had issues hiring qualified assistants since Covid. I’m not sure why it started around that time, most likely a coincidence. We are short-staffed right now and have been for at least two years. We have found that our best new assistants are coming from dental assisting school. Just about every assistant we hire that boasts multiple years of experience, and any of those having a lead position, display little to no skills. Very disappointing.
We have not changed our schedule but must work short one to two assistants or front desk [employees] most days. Our schedule is usually not light so the assistants have to do more than what you would expect in a normal practice. We are very open with our assistants and praise them constantly about being effective and hardworking. It’s not fair to expect the assistants to work harder for no more pay. In a few cases they will receive a bonus from the DSO if we knock a month out of the park but those are very few and far between. The doctors will give bonuses out of our pockets for key anniversaries and Christmas with some minor help from the DSO. I think we maintain a very positive vibe in the office that is comfortable and safe. We also treat our assistants with a great deal of respect. This might seem minor, but from what we hear from assistants we hire, they are always surprised by how relaxed and efficient we are as a team. We always strive to keep a very high morale.
Source: Inside dentistry’s staffing crisis: 5 takes from industry leaders / ADA News