For some dentists, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic provided hope that some of the issues plaguing the dental industry would subside.
However, there are two particular challenges that have been proven to have a stronger grip on the industry: workforce shortages and inflation.
Here is an inside look into how these two obstacles have affected the industry during and after the pandemic:
Staffing shortages
COVID-19 exacerbated ongoing workforce shortages, particularly affecting the recruitment of dental assistants and hygienists. These two roles have consistently been regarded as the most challenging role to recruit, and an April survey from the American Dental Association confirms the continuation of this trend. Out of 550 respondents, 88.8% referred to the recruitment of dental hygienists as "extremely challenging" or "very challenging," while 77.2% referred to the recruitment of dental assistants as "extremely challenging" or "very challenging."
COVID-19 exacerbated a voluntary reduction in the workforce by 3,300 dental hygienists, or 1.6 percent, according to a February 2022 study published in The Journal of Dental Hygiene. Less than half of those who left employment early in the pandemic had returned to the workforce by August 2021.
Although many states and dental schools have launched initiatives to bolster the dental workforce, some dentists predict it could take years before practices see any relief.
Huzefa Kapadia, DDS, the owner of Detroit Sterling Dental and Kapadia Dental Care in Waterford, Mich., told Becker's he expected dental professionals to return to the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic but still struggles with retaining hygienists.
"I was expecting everybody to come back after Covid and start working again … I just can't understand why we still have such a significant labor shortage in dentistry where everyone seems to be looking for dental employees," Dr. Kapadia said. "I do think it's going to get better. They are training more people for dental hygiene programs as well as dental assisting, but it'll take a while. I think it might take a couple of more years."
Rising costs
Many dentists have reported seeing little relief from the inflated costs seen during the pandemic, making it hard for many practices to stay afloat.
Dental practices have seen costs increase in several areas, including supplies, materials and staff wages.
Marian Bradford, DDS, told Becker's in September 2023 that she has seen the biggest cost increases for supplies, materials and staff wages.
"The cost of supplies skyrocketed during COVID. Although the cost of PPE has decreased substantially over the initial inflated prices during the heart of the pandemic, the overall cost has remained 15-20 percent more than in early 2020," she said.
Pasha Javaheri Saatchi, DMD, told Becker's she also had to offer competitive wages to retain staff.
"Everything is increasing. We thought once the pandemic normalized, it would provide a respite from the increased costs in supply chain issues and inflation, but that hasn't been the case," she said. "Payroll has also increased tremendously. The widespread staffing issues that have plagued dental offices instilled a fear in me."