HPI: Dental Office Employment Declined in March
According to the latest analysis by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the ADA Health Policy Institute, hygienist employment has declined since September 2020. About 5 percent of hygienists who had been working at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were unemployed as of August 2021. In March 2022, one in three dentists were recruiting dental hygienists, and 92% indicated recruitment was extremely or very challenging, according to HPI data.
The departure of dental hygienists is largely voluntary, with some hygienists saying they have decided to retire from dental hygiene entirely. Others continue to cite workplace safety concerns and the inability to find sufficient childcare as reasons why they do not return. A study by DentalPost found that feeling underpaid is the most common reason for job dissatisfaction among dental hygienists.
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