Hint: And it’s not just about finding the right people—it’s about setting them up to succeed.
If you’ve been trying to hire a dental assistant or hygienist lately, you already know the truth: It’s tough out there.
Applications are slow. The candidate pool is thin. And even when you find someone great, there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around.
The dental workforce shortage isn’t just a headline—it’s happening in real time across the country. And while we can’t magically create more qualified professionals overnight, we can take a hard look at how we attract, train, and retain the people we do find.
Spoiler: Practices that adapt quickly and onboard efficiently are winning the staffing game.
The dental field is facing a perfect storm:
A wave of dental assistants and hygienists—especially those with decades of experience—have left the field post-COVID. Some retired early. Others pivoted careers entirely.
Dental assisting and hygiene schools haven’t caught up to demand. Many programs have long waitlists, and not enough grads are entering the workforce to offset those leaving.
High expectations, low clarity, and rushed training are common in many offices. That leads to early burnout—especially for new hires who walk into chaos instead of support.
Even if you’re fully staffed today, here’s why this matters:
Here’s the good news: even in a tight labor market, some practices are thriving. Why?
Because they’ve learned how to make onboarding fast, simple, and clear.
When great hires are hard to find, your focus should be on keeping them—and making sure they succeed from day one.
Let’s break down how they’re doing it:
New hires are most vulnerable in their first 90 days. Without structure, they feel lost—and many quit before they truly begin.
Smart practices use standardized SOPs and role-specific training paths so every new team member knows exactly what to do, how to do it, and who to ask for help.
✳️ Bonus: It reduces training time, stress, and costly errors.
If you’re still training every new hire manually, you’re wasting hours.
The best practices record key trainings and build a digital library of SOPs that new team members can review anytime.
This not only saves time—it protects consistency as your team grows.
The best retention strategy? Give people the tools to succeed.
When team members have access to clear protocols, visual guides, and checklists, they feel more confident—and make fewer mistakes.
That’s not micromanagement. That’s leadership with intention.
Instead of scrambling every time someone gives notice, top-performing offices build ready-to-go onboarding systems that can be activated at any time.
They treat training like a business asset—not an afterthought.
My Dental SOP was built to help practices overcome exactly this challenge. With our platform, you can:
Whether you're hiring tomorrow or next quarter, the system is already in place.
You may not be able to control the job market—but you can control what happens inside your practice. In a time when talent is scarce, your ability to train quickly, clearly, and confidently becomes your biggest competitive edge.
Set your team up for success before they even walk through the door.
👉 Ready to build an onboarding system your future team will thank you for?
Schedule your 8-minute demo of My Dental SOP and let’s get ahead of the hiring curve—together.