Dental practices are facing complex hiring challenges as salary expectations increase and retention issues persist.
Here are six statistics and trends pointing to shifts in the dental workforce and recruitment strategies of employers:
1. One-fifth of dentists stated that hygienist positions had been open for more than six months before being filled, according to the American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report for the third quarter of 2026.
2. More dental offices are turning to a combination of temporary and permanent staff members to fill workforce gaps, according to a report from Cloud Dentistry, a dental staffing platform.
Source: The shifting dental hiring landscape / Becker’s Dental