Efforts to minimize dental hygienist shortages
Dental hygienists are increasingly in high demand and organizations in Colorado are working to fill the gap.
Colorado is expected to see a 37% rise in jobs for hygienists, leading to the recruitment of approximately 450 new dental hygienists each year. However, hygienists are not being trained at a rate high enough to meet the growing demand, according to Tatiana Bailey, an economist.
A survey conducted in September 2024 by the ADA revealed that, out of 40% of dentists who were currently recruiting or had recruited dental hygienists during the previous quarter, 92% indicated recruitment was either very or extremely challenging. As a result, Pikes Peak State College collaborated with the Colorado Community College System and the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation to launch a two-year dental hygiene program aimed at expanding the educational capacity for dental hygienists in the state.
Equipped with a comprehensive video simulation platform to better train 30 hygienists per year and live patient clinics that provide access to affordable dental care for underserved patients, the program is expected to boost the dental hygienist profession as well as health care among residents in Colorado. The program will begin in May 2025.
Read more: The Denver Gazette
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