Dental hygiene program enrollment up 15% in 5 years
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
Rising enrollment in dental hygiene programs will increase the future supply of hygienists, directly affecting hiring costs and scheduling capacity for private practices and DSOs that rely on hygiene revenue.
Key points
- ADA data show a 15% national increase in hygiene student enrollment from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 academic years.
- Higher graduate numbers may ease staffing shortages for practices in competitive markets, potentially moderating wage pressure.
- DSOs planning multi-site expansion should model future hygienist availability when projecting chair utilization and revenue.
- Owners and HR leads may need updated recruitment strategies as the new graduate cohort enters the job market.
Who should care
Read the original on Becker's Dental + DSO Review
Full reporting and any paywall content live on beckersdental.com. We summarize and score; we do not republish.
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