Nationwide dental hygienist shortage impacting patients

Patients in Virginia, and nationwide, are feeling the effects of a nationwide dental hygienist shortage, sometimes waiting up to 14 months for a routine appointment.

“There was a huge influx of dental hygienists in the ‘70s and ‘80s.” Director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s dental hygiene program Marion Manski said. “They were still in the workforce. COVID hit. Gone.”

Ms. Manski highlighted it might take several more years before the dental hygienist workforce stabilizes. She advised patience, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, and mentioned receiving an increased number of calls from dental offices seeking hygienists.  

Despite efforts like opening up additional spaces for dental hygiene students at VCU's School of Dentistry, Ms. Manski explained that limitations in space, resources and faculty still constrain their ability to train larger numbers. She noted the high competitiveness of the program, with only 20 out of 130-140 applicants being accepted.

 

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