The Reality of Hiring in Dentistry Today
Staffing shortages continue to impact nearly every role in a dental practice:
62% of dentists cite staffing as their #1 business challenge
Nearly 60% of dental practices report having at least one open position
Hiring timelines continue to stretch across all roles
The shortage is not limited to hygienists—it also significantly affects dental assistants and front office teams, which are critical to daily operations and patient flow.
Typical Hiring Timelines by Role
Dental Hygienist: 30–90+ days, 21.5% take more than 6 months
Dental Assistant: 30–50 days
Front Office / Administrative Roles: 45–60 days
In many markets, these timelines are increasing due to fewer applicants and higher turnover.
What this means:
Traditional hiring can leave hygiene positions unfilled for extended periods—impacting production, patient care, and team workload.
A Faster Approach: Search → Book → Hire
Cloud Dentistry enables a faster, more flexible hiring workflow:
1. Search & Reach Out
Find qualified professionals instantly:
Filter by role, availability, and experience
Review profiles and ratings
Send booking requests or direct messages
Why it matters: You connect with candidates immediately instead of waiting for applications.
2. Book for Immediate Coverage or Interviews
Bookings are the fastest way to fill shifts and evaluate candidates.
Select date(s) and shift details
Add expectations and notes
Send booking request
You can also use bookings as working interviews to evaluate real-world performance.
3. Use Working Interviews (Temp-to-Perm Hiring)
Instead of relying on resumes alone, evaluate candidates in practice.
Book professionals for shifts
Assess clinical skills, reliability, and team fit
Invite top performers back
Transition strong candidates into permanent roles
Why this works:
Reduces hiring risk
Maintains productivity during hiring
Leads to more confident long-term hires
4. Post a Job to Expand Your Reach
Job posts help attract additional candidates:
Create a temporary or permanent posting
Review applications
Message candidates directly
Best for: Expanding your candidate pool and comparing options.
Best Practice: Combine All Three
The most successful offices use all three tools together:
Search and contact candidates directly
Book top candidates for shifts
Post jobs to attract additional applicants
Convert strong performers into permanent hires
Simple Hiring Workflow
Search → Book → Post → Interview → Hire
Key Takeaways
Staffing shortages affect every core dental role
Roles often take 1–2 months or longer to fill
Booking-based hiring helps maintain production while evaluating fit
Temp-to-perm is the most reliable way to reduce hiring risk
Cloud Dentistry Advantage
With Cloud Dentistry, practices can:
Fill shifts faster
Reduce downtime from vacancies
Evaluate candidates in real clinical settings
Build stronger long-term teams
Resources:
American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. “Staffing Shortages Top Expected Challenges This Year.” ADA News, 2025. Available at: https://adanews.ada.org/new-dentist/2025/march/staffing-shortages-top-expected-challenges-this-year/. Accessed May 8th, 2026.
Dental Economics & Levin Group. “2024 Annual Practice Survey.” Dental Economics, 2024. Available at: https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/55016675/higher-production-and-much-needed-stability-the-2024-de-levin-group-annual-practice-survey. Accessed May 8th, 2026.
Becker’s Dental Review. “Where Dental Staff Recruitment Stands in 2024.” Becker’s Dental Review, 2024. Available at: https://www.beckersdental.com/staffing-issues/where-dental-staff-recruitment-stands-in-2024/. Accessed May 8th, 2026.
Ainora. “Dental Staffing Shortage Statistics 2026.” Available at: https://ainora.lt/blog/dental-staffing-shortage-statistics-2026
American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. “State of the U.S. Dental Economy – Q3 2025.” Available at: https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/state_us_dental_economy_q32025.pdf. Accessed May 8th, 2026.
Ainora. “Dental Staffing Shortage Statistics 2026.” Available at: https://ainora.lt/blog/dental-staffing-shortage-statistics-2026. Accessed May 8th, 2026.