Instead of searching for dental assistants, practice owners should focus on building rewarding careers that attract and retain talented people by offering competitive compensation, expanded job responsibilities, professional growth opportunities, and a supportive practice culture where team members feel valued and belong.
- 47% of dental assistants are considering leaving their jobs within two years, with 84% citing higher pay as a primary reason.
- Nearly 70% of dentists describe recruiting dental assistants as very or extremely challenging.
- Transform the dental assistant role beyond basic tasks to include patient education, leadership opportunities, expanded clinical functions, and continuing education.
- Hire for character traits like kindness, integrity, and shared values rather than just credentials, then invest in clinical skill development.
- Create a caring community where team members feel they belong and can grow, making your practice the obvious choice for talented assistants.
The dental assistant shortage may be getting worse.
According to a recent Becker’s Dental +DSO Review report, 47% of dental assistants surveyed are considering changing jobs within the next two years. Of those who are considering leaving, 84% cite higher pay as a primary motivation. Benefits and finding a more appreciative employer also matter. Dental assisting program enrollment has declined, retirements are coming, and nearly 70% of dentists trying to recruit assistants describe the process as very or extremely challenging.
Those numbers are concerning. But instead of asking, “Where are all the dental assistants?” perhaps practice owners should ask a more uncomfortable question: "Why should a talented dental assistant want to work for me?"
Dr. Alan Stern.
Compensation matters. A lot. If we believe dental assistants deserve better compensation -- and I do -- we also have to create practices financially capable of providing it.
That may mean increasing fees. It may mean reconsidering insurance participation. Some practices may expand their scope or volume of services. Others may build smaller boutique practices where patients willingly pay more for a differentiated experience.
There is no universal model. The answer should reflect the owner’s philosophy, market, and core values.
Money is only part of this conversation. We also need to rethink what it means to be a dental assistant.
If the job is primarily suctioning, sterilizing instruments, and turning over rooms, we shouldn’t be surprised when ambitious people see limited opportunity. Imagine instead a career that includes patient education, reassurance, relationship-building, expanded functions where permitted, continuing education, leadership, and increasing responsibility.
Give people somewhere to go. And perhaps, most importantly, give them something to belong to.
I don’t want to build merely a dental team. I want to build a community of caring -- people who care about their patients, their teammates, their practice, and the work they’re doing together.
That changes hiring, too. A workforce shortage can tempt us to hire anyone with a pulse and a résumé. Resist that temptation. Skills can be taught. Character is harder. Hire for kindness, integrity, curiosity, work ethic, shared values, and chemistry, then invest in teaching excellent clinical skills.
Dental assistants should be equally selective about us. They should interview the practice while the practice interviews them.
- How are people treated here?
- Will I learn?
- Can I grow?
- Will my voice matter?
- Does this practice stand for something I believe in?
Those are legitimate questions. The dental assistant shortage presents a genuine threat to dentistry. Practices cannot function at their best without talented people working together. But perhaps the shortage also presents an opportunity.
We can fight harder over a shrinking pool of people, or we can build careers more people want and practices exceptional people don’t want to leave. So, doctor, here’s the question: If a talented dental assistant had three job offers tomorrow, why should they choose you?
Dr. Alan Stern retired from clinical practice in 2023 after a 42-year career in private practice. He now owns a speaking business and works with dentists who want more prosperous, fulfilling careers. He speaks the language of the operatory and the heart, blending wit with wisdom, laughter with leadership, and compassion with clarity. He reminds those who heal others that they, too, deserve to feel whole. Stern wrote Enjoy the Ride for those who want to get out of the day-to-day grind and take charge of their own road map to a better life.
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