HIGHBusinessTier 1
6 dental workforce updates
SourceBecker's Dental + DSO ReviewTier 1Hard News
By Ariana Portalatin
Originally at beckersdental.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Dental practice owners and DSOs face persistent staffing friction: hygienist vacancies lasting six-plus months, a new California virtual-training law, and a Missouri lawsuit that could limit assistant scope of practice. These updates directly affect hiring costs, patient throughput, and compliance risk.
Key points
- One-fifth of dentists reported hygienist openings remaining unfilled for more than six months per the American Dental Association’s Q3 2026 “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1311, permitting unlicensed dental assistants to complete infection-control training via virtual courses.
- Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association and a licensed dental hygienist sued to block a Missouri Dental Board rule that would allow expanded-function dental assistants to perform supragingival scaling and periodontal charting.
- Roughly half of dental assistants expressed job satisfaction in the Dental Assisting National Board’s 2026 Hiring and Retention Report.
Who should care
OwnerDSOStaff
Read the original on Becker's Dental + DSO Review
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