Shortages in the dental industry remain at critical levels, could lead to longer wait times
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- In the Milwaukee area and across Wisconsin, dental providers are challenged with serving patients with less staff than they're used to.
"We are at an all-time shortage for dental professionals and it's an amazing field. We need hygienists, we need dental assistants, we need individuals to get excited about this life-changing profession," said Dr. Lisa Teel, perodonist at Meridian Endodontics, Periodontics & Implant Dentistry. Meridian provides specialty level care and is also seeing the impact of worker shortages.
"Wait times might be a little bit longer," said Dr. Teel. This is also true at many general dentist offices when it comes to getting an appointment.
Dr. Teel's message to patients is don't delay your care. "We've also seen a major uptick in dental emergencies. We don't know if it's related to COVID-19 or if it's related to the fact that patients could not get access to care during that time," said Dr. Teel.
While dental assistants can be trained in-house, dental hygienists must have formal education for the job. Representatives with the Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) continue to stress the need for more technical training programs.
"They have to be educated by an accredited dental hygiene training program and those are limited in Wisconsin," said Dr. Patrick Tepe.
Dr. Tepe says there are only a handful of accredited programs in the state. "Those are two-year programs, so it's not like all of a sudden just start to graduate a bunch of dental hygienists and have them in the workforce in a semester. It takes time," he said.
One of the ways Meridian is navigating the workforce crisis is by encouraging their team to stay in the industry through educational, personal growth, and training opportunities.
Dominique Smith is a surgical assistant at Meridian. He says he loves what he does and has plans to continue to pursue a career in the business. "It's a tough career. It's not for everyone, but those who are coming in for the right reasons get some gratification on the other side," said Smith.
Michaelye Ross is a dental assistant at Meridian and says she enjoys interacting with patients. "My favorite is having an anxious patient come in and then I'm able to work with them and help them reduce their anxiety, so by the time the doctor enters the room to start treatment, they're having a great experience already," she said.
Dental assistants at Meridian say they're hopeful that the next generation will find a passion for the industry just as they did.
Dr. Tepe encourages folks to reach out to their local legislators about the need for lawmakers to support expanding more dental training programs in the state. As more and more continue to retire from the industry, the need for new roles to be filled will grow.