ADA Survey Highlights Challenges in Dental Staff Recruitment

The American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute (ADA HPI) recently published its “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” report for the second quarter of 2024. This comprehensive survey offers valuable insights into the current economic conditions, staffing challenges, and emerging trends in dentistry across the nation. With responses from over 900 dentists in private practice, the report sheds light on the significant hurdles dental practices face, particularly in recruiting new staff.

Number of Offices Recruiting New Staff

One of the critical areas explored in the survey is recruiting new staff. The data reveals that many dental offices have actively sought to expand their teams over the past three months. Here are some key findings:

Dental Hygienists: 34.2% of dental practices reported recruiting dental hygienists.
Dental Assistants: 37.6% of offices have recruited dental assistants.
Dentists: 12.0% of practices have brought on new dentists.
Administrative Staff: 27.2% of offices have recruited new administrative staff.

These numbers indicate that many dental practices are working to bolster their teams to meet patient demand and maintain operational efficiency.

Difficulties in Recruitment

Despite the active recruitment efforts, the survey highlights significant challenges in attracting qualified candidates across all positions. The difficulties in recruitment are evident across various demographics and practice sizes. Here’s a breakdown of the challenges faced:

Overall Recruitment Challenges

Dental Hygienists: A staggering 72.5% of respondents reported extreme difficulty in recruiting dental hygienists. This highlights a critical shortage in this essential role, which can impact the overall efficiency and service quality of dental practices.

Dental Assistants: 45.6% of dental practices indicated that recruiting dental assistants was extremely challenging. This is another vital position supporting a dental office’s day-to-day operations.

Dentists: 44.1% of respondents faced significant challenges in recruiting new dentists. This difficulty can affect a practice’s ability to expand services and cater to a larger patient base.

Administrative Staff: 34.1% found it extremely challenging to recruit administrative staff, crucial for smooth office operations and patient management.

Recruitment Challenges by Demographics

Ownership Status: Owner dentists reported the highest levels of recruitment difficulty, particularly for dental hygienists (74.4%), dental assistants (45.8%), dentists (47.1%), and administrative staff (36.3%).

DSO Affiliation: Dental practices affiliated with Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) experienced notable recruitment challenges, especially for dental hygienists (60%) and dental assistants (55.9%).

Geography: Urban areas, particularly the top 20 cities, reported the highest recruitment challenges, with 80% of practices finding it extremely difficult to recruit dental hygienists.

Implications for Medicaid Practices in Texas

These recruitment challenges underscore the difficulties facing Medicaid dental practices in Texas, which TDMR has already reported regarding inflation, low fee schedules, and decreased patient volume due to the unwinding of Medicaid. It is also interesting to note that Texas Health and Human Services has not updated its End of Continuous Medicaid Coverage Dashboard reports since April. The last report showed just under one million eligible children were denied coverage due to procedural issues.

With the federal government threatening to withhold payments to Texas and problems with the Texas eligibility system coming to light, these issues add fuel to the fire. Addressing these recruitment challenges and systemic issues is crucial for the sustainability and effectiveness of dental practices, particularly those serving the Medicaid population.

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