Dental practices and DSOs may have to do more than increase compensation in order to get ahead of the industry’s growing dental assistant shortage.
Dentalpost’s 2026 “Dental Salary Survey Report” pointed to future challenges with recruiting and retaining dental assistants, showing that improvements in compensation, culture and workload are needed for stable retention.
According to the report, dental assistants are the likeliest dental professionals to be seeking new opportunities, with 47% considering changing jobs within the next two years. Among those considering changing jobs, 84% cite higher pay as a primary motivation, followed by better benefits and seeking a more appreciative employer. Only 54% of dental assistants said they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their current work, compared to 57% last year.
Source: What dental assistants want more than a bigger paycheck / Becker’s Dental