Tackling Ohio’s Dental Hygienist Shortage Head-On
The ADA recommends a national hygienist-to-dentist ratio of 3 or 4 : 1, but the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) reports national annual graduation ratios of almost exactly 1:1.
Ohio’s dental hygienist shortage is, first and foremost, about patients’ access to care. With fewer hygienists available, dental practices are forced to cut back on services. This results in fewer new patient appointments and longer wait times for existing patients.
Here are some solutions:
Substantially increase enrollment in existing dental hygiene programs by expanding class size. There are plenty of applicants. CODA has reported over 43,000 qualified applicants nationally per year, but less than 7,000 have been accepted.
Loosen restrictive faculty-to-student ratios and allow programs to admit more students.
Fast-track dental hygiene programs to shorten the duration of study without compromising the quality of education. Drop the associate’s degree requirement. Allow for 12-month dental hygiene programs.
Increase the number of accredited dental hygiene programs in Ohio.
Streamline licensing for foreign-trained dentists, which includes successful completion of limited dental hygiene coursework. In the fall of 2024, the American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates passed resolutions to
a.) remove faculty-to-student ratios in dental hygiene programs and
b.) allow dental students and foreign-trained dentists to practice dental hygiene in the U.S. without passing a state licensing exam. Several states (but not Ohio) have since allowed foreign-trained dentists to become dental hygienists.
Your call to action is to contact your state association leaders and your elected officials. Tell them that you will stand with them and press upon them the need to take immediate steps to address the shortage.
Now is the time for Ohio’s dental industry to act. By expanding program size and by embracing policy reform, we can ensure that all Ohioans have access to the dental care they need.
Dr. Hans Guter, DDS, FAGD
Tackling Ohio’s Dental Hygienist Shortage
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J. Robert “Bob” Brooks, CEPA, CBI, leads Practice Endeavors, an Ohio-based practice brokerage and dental realty company. His company provides practice owners with the tools they need to prepare well for life after practice ownership and to find the best price/best fit buyers for their seller clients. Bob was integral in starting the first of its kind dental practice broker credentialing for the International Business Brokers Association.