Supply, Demand, and Recruiting Considerations in Dentistry
The Impact of Turnover and Burnout The pandemic also caused many healthcare professionals – and people from all walks of life – to rethink where, when, and how they work. This reassessment has continued, causing physicians, nurses, dentists and other healthcare professionals to seek different positions or different practice styles, including locum tenens, and causing high turnover rates. According to DentalPost’s 2024 Dental Salary Survey, 28.21% of responding dentists who are associates at dental practices changed jobs last year. The top motivations for these changes were career advancement, a better work environment, and higher pay. The percentage of associate dentists who reported they were currently applying for jobs or would be looking for new jobs before 2025 is 19.64%, according to the survey. Another 37.50% reported they might apply for new jobs. According to respondents, the top motivations for these changes are higher pay, followed by a more appreciative employer, and a better work environment. In addition, one-third of responding dentist-owners reported they plan to retire within the next six years. As a result, there is a considerable level of volatility in the dental workforce, as there is in the healthcare workforce in general. Like other healthcare professionals, many dentists are experiencing feelings of stress and burnout. According to the ADA’s 2024 Dentist Trend Report Survey and Consumer Trend Report Survey, 82% of dentists are experiencing some type of major stress in their careers. Of these, nearly 60% are considering changing careers or retiring early (Burnout pushes dentists to leave the industry. Becker’s Dentist and DSO Review. October 10, 2024) . The Impact of the Hygienist Shortage According to an ADA survey, 95% of dentists are encountering considerable difficulties in recruiting hygienists and over 87% are facing challenges in hiring assistants. (Economic outlook and emerging issues in dentistry: insights from data from November 2023. American Dental Association Health Policy Institute) . In a January 2022 poll from the ADA and the Health Policy Institute, 73.4% of respondents said that it was "extremely challenging" to recruit dental hygienists and 55.4% said the same for dental assistants. (Economic Outlook and Emerging issues in Dentistry. Health Policy Institute/ADA. January 17, 2022).
An inability to fully staff dental practices has diminished the overall patient capacity of dentists nationwide by 11%, according to the ADA.
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