The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a voluntary reduction of the U.S. dental hygiene workforce by about 3.75%, or about 7,500 dental hygienists, according to updated research from the ADA and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Dental offices also report a critical shortage of assistants and office support staff. The ADA Health Policy Institute’s recent Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry poll shows that openings for all dental team positions are on the rise again.

In response to this issue, the ADA has created an online workforce toolkit with resources on recruiting, hiring and training a dental team. Some articles require an ADA login. Visit ADA.org/dentalstaff to access these valuable ADA resources.

Ginny Hegarty is known as a turnaround expert specializing in practice leadership, accountability and employee engagement. She says hiring well is not so much a race as a three-hour tour, and that hiring slowly and following a process is the best way to secure the right staff. This is episode eight of Beyond the Mouth, a podcast series in which Dr. Betsy Shapiro of the American Dental Association (ADA) chats with a diverse group of people who can help with the non-clinical challenges dentists experience every day. Listen now on the ADA website.

Whether this is your first hire or you’re a seasoned veteran, hiring will always be more of an art than a science. However, there is a lot you can do to improve the chances that you hire someone likely to be successful in your practice, your culture and on your team. Do your homework to identify the ability, skill and attitude you need in your practice; be most concerned about hiring the willing personality and train the skill if necessary.

Read more from the ADA.