The labor shortage rippling through the economy is affecting all positions in the dental industry. Today’s competition for top talent is forcing dental support organizations to adopt creative approaches for the recruitment and retention of top talent. To get insight into a leading DSO’s practices for attracting talent in this challenging labor market, Becker’s Dental + DSO Review recently spoke with Josie Martinez, senior director of talent acquisition at Heartland Dental. Heartland Dental has 20,000 employees and supports over 1,550 dental offices across 38 states. Ms. Martinez has been at Heartland Dental for more than five years and has about 20 years of experience focused specifically on talent recruitment and retention. 

Nine out of 10 dental specialties saw increases in the number of practitioners between 2001 and 2021, according to data from the American Dental Association.

There was a nearly 14 percent increase in the number of periodontists in the U.S. from 2001 to 2021.

There was a 108 percent increase in the number of pediatric dentists in the U.S. from 2001 to 2021.

The number of oral and maxillofacial pathologists in the U.S. has only increased by 1.6 percent from 2001 to 2021, according to data from the American Dental Association. 

Three states have recently taken action to expand dental care by introducing and passing legislation to change how services are performed. 

The Wisconsin legislature has passed a bill authorizing the practice of dental auxiliaries in the state.

There were 10,921 orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics dentists in the U.S. in 2021.

The amount of endodontists in the U.S. has increased 41 percent from 2001 to 2021.

The number of oral and maxillofacial surgery dentists in the U.S. has increased nearly 17 percent from 2001-21.

The amount of general practice dentists in the U.S. has increased more than 20 percent from 2001 to 2021.

The number of dental anesthesiologists in the U.S. has increased from zero in 2018 to 97 in 2021, according to recent data from the American Dental Association.

The number of U.S. orofacial pain specialists has increased from zero in 2019 to 25 in 2021, according to recent data from the American Dental Association.

Female dentists tend to be younger than male dentists, with 21.5 percent of women being over the age of 55 compared to 45.2 percent of male dentists.

The dental workforce is making strides in adding women to the industry, seeing a nearly 20 percent increase in women over 20 years.

The number of patients seen at dental practices during the week of Feb. 14 was lower than the maximum amount staffing levels would allow, according to new data from the American Dental Association. 

Workforce shortages are the biggest factor preventing dental practices from recruiting dental assistants and hygienists, according to a new poll from the American Dental Association.

Two states are considering legislation that would expand the scope of practice for dental professionals, and the American Dental Association is calling for more attention to workforce shortages and oral health disparities. 

As of August 2021, less than half of dental hygienists who left employment early in the pandemic returned to the workforce, according to research published in the February issue of The Journal of Dental Hygiene.

The Alaska House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow dental hygienists to apply for permits to work independently, Alaska Native News reported Feb. 18.