COVID-19 is bringing unprecedented disruption to the US health care sector, including the dental workforce. The dental hygiene labor force has tightened considerably and based on the data collected about one-quarter of dental offices reported they had recently hired or were actively recruiting dental hygienists. We are all in the same boat.
It appears the majority of dental hygienists who left their jobs, including our own experience, did so voluntarily. Originally, there was hope that most of this voluntary departure from the workforce is likely to be short term, only lasting through the COVID-19 pandemic. But there appears to be a portion of dental hygienists who do not want to be employed as a dental hygienist any longer, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Ergo an industry wide problem that is historically unprecedented.
This is causing labor price hikes and disruptions in the delivery of oral health care. And unfortunately, the cost of delivering dentistry has to go up. It’s unavoidable.
We are doing all we can to hold our prices down, but the increased costs of labor and protective equipment are making that impossible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
ZoAnna Bock, MS, DMD
Hanna Orland, DMD
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
404-256-3620
and
3781 Chamblee Dunwoody Road
Chamblee, GA 30341
770-455-6076
the right smile 