- HIGH
- Business
- Tier 1
- Hard News
The shifting dental hygiene landscape
- Source
- Becker's Dental + DSO Review
- Author
- Ariana Portalatin
- Originally at
- beckersdental.com(opens in a new tab)
Summary and scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol. Not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Practice owners and DSOs face sustained hygienist staffing pressure as one-fifth of dentists report openings lasting over six months and two-thirds of hygienists express dissatisfaction with compensation.
Key points
- 01
Bureau of Labor Statistics projects dental hygienist employment will grow much faster than the average rate for all other occupations.
- 02
American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report for the third quarter of 2026 shows one-fifth of dentists had hygienist positions open for more than six months.
- 03
American Dental Hygienists’ Association issued an updated position statement earlier this year that attributes the workforce shortage to retention rather than supply.
- 04
GoTu survey finds around two-thirds of dental hygienists are unsatisfied with their compensation and benefits.
Who should care
- Owner
- DSO
- Staff
Read the original
Becker's Dental + DSO Review
Full reporting and any paywalled content live on beckersdental.com. We summarize and score; we do not republish.