A Shortage in the Dental World


     As many people know, the pandemic hit many people very hard. Some business definitely endured more suffering financially and maybe more mentally than others. Personally, I feel like the biggest shortage I hear about is nurses, but when looking more closely at things, the dental world is suffering just as much. This phenomenon is definitely not new, but it has gotten worse over the pandemic and during quarantine especially. 

    The pandemic is definitely a big reasoning for shortages, but there are also many other factors as to why there is a decline in dental office positions such as dental assistants, administration, and dentists. Three main reasons are socioeconomics, education, and policy-related factors. Socioeconomics plays a part in the decline of staff available for offices because certain positions such as dental assistants or administration are not offered competitive or livable wages. This can immediately turn someone's interest off for that specific position because people may rely fully on that salary. Education plays a large part in the decline. Dental school takes a very long time and is very challenging to many. It may also appear to be very long to some and causes a turn away from the profession. Dental assistant programs can be very pricey and not worth the salary they receive which also causes a turn away. Policy-related factors such as licensing and certificates or workplace dynamics play a large part in the decline as well. Dentists and assistants need to be some type of certified or licensed to practice and some people may fail to get to this point, causing a halt in their career. Workplace dynamics can be very demanding such as the long hours and complex work required by the staff. Some individuals can not endure these types of day and would lose interest in the fields of dentistry. 

    Having these problems overall affect the flow of a dental office and ultimately the care you receive. Not having the right positions filled causes the work to be shifted around the office. This can create delays in the efficiency or maybe even care of the work done by the workers or dentists in the office. 

TAGS: shortage, pandemic, staffing , #ENGL2201FA2024

https://hrforhealth.com/blog/dental-staffing-shortages/#:~:text=While%20the%20staffing%20shortage%20spans,burnout%2C%20and%20an%20aging%20workforce. 

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