The Shortage of Hygienists? 

The other thing I see happening is that since the hygienists are asking so much per hour, they need to produce more per hour to make the numbers work. This is causing them to see more patients in the same amount of time, decreasing the level of patient care and making for a stressful work environment for them.

I am an RDH, since 2007. I’m going to be brave enough to go on here and say it’s the other way around. I started my dental field career as a dental assistant in 2000 working for a wonderful dentist who treated his hygienists well. He semi-retired and I decided to go to hygiene school. I started my hygiene career and as I went on insurances paid out less to dentists, corporates took over, and hygiene became more about producing (quantity) than quality. 1 hour appointments became 45 minutes appointments. We were pushed to do more in less time. Then the pandemic hit. When we opened back up, patients were overdue. And there were minimal openings, and we weren’t given more time to re-plan these patients who hadn’t been in for one or more years and had 1 or more years of calculus on their teeth to get them clean. Plus, all the barriers, protection/infection protocols hygienists literally were run ragged, no time between these patients that needed deep cleanings and that doesn’t include charting, X-rays. Frankly, we got Burnt Out.. We didn’t demand more first. It started years ago. And the last straw was the pandemic.

Makes perfect sense. Thanks for clarifying. It's supply and demand, but I agree that if they demand too much its no longer viable to employ hygienists

Thanks for this channel

I am a RDH,DDS in the PNW. I am retired as a DDS and am currently working a couple days a week as a RDH because we are so desperate for RDH’s. As far as pay, just because you can get top dollar, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Look at the $15 minimum wage example, they brought in kiosks and cut their staff. Not an exact comparison but you get the idea. FFS practices can pay more as can the ones in downtown Seattle and Bellevue. Cities and communities further out and are PPO’s, can’t. When the RDH is being paid more than they are bringing in, it doesn’t make economic sense. I DO NOT like the idea of new dentists doing hygiene, it isn’t a service for the pt and that is not what they went to school for. There has been a push for many years for another mid-level provider which makes no sense to me. Expanding current hygiene schools and maybe partnering with a larger DSO to fund another school might be a good idea. I always treated my RDH’s well and they got whatever they wanted. I have actually heard more vitriol thrown at the DDS’s from the RDH’s and this conflict is pointless and solves nothing. We need to work together to serve our patients and every position is important. Humility and respect go a long way.

Hi Dr Alessandro, I would like to respond kindly to your video and comments. EFDAs polishing children's teeth has been happening in pediatric practices for many years here in Portland, I am not certain how much time and effort is being spent on education, motivation and demonstration on how to avoid caries and gingivitis, it seems to me generally speaking we have made very small preventative dental health strides here in Multnomah County. I strongly believe patient care will suffer dramatically if EFDA's try to take over general practice patient care. As far as strong and fair wage increases, let's talk about some comparable professions/trades, electricians, plumbers, painters, mechanics, landscape maintenance, public employees with a four year college education and how their contracts /rates/fees have been improving. Should hygienists have strong wages? Every trade profession in this area has seen dramatic pay increases, everything is costing 20 to 40% higher as far as home maintenance expenses, auto maintenance, other health care professions are seeing dramatic increases and many (pharmacists, radiology techs) are on the picket line negotiating for stronger wages. Teachers, police, fire, sheriffs, fish and wildlife are receiving significant pay increases. Our property tax increases are going to pay for all of the public employee raises, but yet dental wants to hold us down, keep our wages stagnant to minimal in growth. This is most likely the reason hygienists are leaving. There has been dramatic movement of hygienists around the profession in order to secure better wages, and yes we finally have seen 15 to 20 years worth of wage increases finally happening. Sadly, hygienists are having to leave offices and patients they love and have cared for in search of stronger wages. I am steering young women away from this career for many of the reasons you offered. I suggest to them physical or occupational therapy, radiology, pharmacology, city planning etc etc...find a profession with upward movement and the ability to secure financial and professional growth. Dental fees have not kept pace with other professional fee increases, college tuition, housing prices, utility rates, plumbing, electrical, welding costs, and all the other expenses in life. I am not certain why this is, and I will say that I do see many private practices moving away from insurance plans so they can not have their fees quite so regulated and can keep pace with the economy and afford highly skilled practitioners. From my perspective the preventative side of dentistry has not been well respected or valued and the fees have been kept far too low for the service we offer.