Dental hygienists are more likely to leave their jobs when they experience high work stress without adequate rewards like respect, recognition, and fair compensation, according to research published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene. Employers can improve retention by addressing the imbalance between effort and reward through targeted interventions.
- Seventy-six percent of surveyed hygienists reported their work has become increasingly demanding without corresponding rewards.
- Eighty-two percent felt poor job promotion prospects, indicating limited career advancement opportunities in dental settings.
- Reward was the strongest negative predictor of turnover intention, meaning higher perceived rewards significantly reduce the likelihood of leaving.
- Overcommitment and high effort levels were significant positive predictors of turnover, showing burnout accelerates departures.
- Targeted interventions addressing compensation, recognition, and respect can help dental practices attract and retain qualified hygienists.
Dental hygienists who experience higher work stress without reciprocal rewards like respect, recognition, and compensation are more inclined to leave their jobs, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene.
Knowing the factors related to an imbalance between effort and reward in the dental setting is key to keeping dental hygienists in the workforce, the authors wrote.
“This knowledge may assist employers in developing targeted interventions to improve retention and attract qualified candidates,” wrote the authors, led by Linda D. Boyd, RDH, RD, EdD, of the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston (J Dent Hyg, October 4, 2026, Vol. 100:5, pp. 23-33).
In recent years, workforce shortages have persisted as dental hygienists continue leaving clinical practice. To investigate the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and dental hygienists’ turnover intention, a cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted. Turnover intention scale (TIS) and effort-reward imbalance were used as validated instruments, and statistical analysis was completed.
Of the 228 hygienists who responded, about 76% (173 hygienists) agreed that their work has become increasingly demanding. Additionally, approximately 82% (186 hygienists) felt that their job promotion prospects were poor (81.6%, n = 186), the authors wrote.
Furthermore, these effort-reward imbalances were revealed as noteworthy predictors of a hygienist's intent to leave: reward (β = -0.670, SE = 0.075, p < 0.001), overcommitment (β = 0.278, SE = 0.088, p = 0.002), and effort (β = 0.332, SE = 0.153, p = 0.030).
Among the predictors, reward was a considerable negative predictor of interpersonal stress (beta = -0.516, t (224) = -8.925, p < 0.001). This indicator pointed to greater levels of reward being linked to lower levels of turnover intention. Significant predictors of increased turnover intention were overcommitment (beta = 0.194, t (224) = 3.164, p = 0.002) and effort (beta = 0.122, t (224) = 2.178, p = 0.030), they wrote.
Study limitations included that the data were self-reported from participants, the authors wrote.
“These results suggest that the more dental hygienists feel rewarded, the less likely they are to leave, and the higher the level of effort and overcommitment, the more likely they are to leave,” Boyd and colleagues wrote.
