HIGHBusinessTier 1
What hygienists want more than a bigger paycheck
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 practices facing hygienist shortages can cut turnover and recruitment costs by offering the non-salary benefits hygienists actually value—flexible scheduling, CE support, and clinical autonomy—rather than bidding ever-higher wages.
Key points
- More than 90 % of U.S. practices report ongoing hygienist recruitment and retention challenges, directly tied to compensation inflation.
- Hygienists rank schedule flexibility, paid continuing-education days, and clinical decision-making latitude above additional base-pay increases.
- Practice owners and DSOs who shift budget from pure wage hikes to these perks can improve margins while still attracting staff.
- Becker’s Dental Review notes this trend is consistent across both independent offices and multi-site DSOs.
Who should care
OwnerDSOStaff
Read the original on Becker's Dental + DSO Review
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