--- title: "Dental assistant shortage: what ADA data shows | Copeland Consulting Services" description: "ADA Health Policy Institute data on the dental assistant shortage: hiring difficulty in 2022 and 2024, job satisfaction, pay factors, and BLS job openings." url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-shortage publisher: Copeland Consulting Services email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact --- # Dental assistant shortage: what ADA data shows ADA Health Policy Institute data shows hiring dental assistants stayed hard but eased: nearly 87% of recruiting dentists called it very or extremely challenging in late 2022, and slightly more than 70% did by the end of 2024. BLS projects about 53,000 dental assistant openings each year through 2035. Team and leadershipPublished October 26, 20264 min read ## Is there a dental assistant shortage? Yes, but the data shows the picture is easing slowly. ADA News reported Health Policy Institute (HPI) data in February 2025. Among dentists actively recruiting, nearly 87% said it was very or extremely challenging to hire dental assistants in late 2022. By the end of 2024, that share had fallen to slightly more than 70%. An April 2026 HPI piece says the situation is “a bit less dire” for dental assistants and administrative staff than for hygienists, with higher shares of dentists reporting an adequate number. This post gives each figure with its date. It is general information from published sources. ## What are the key numbers? Measure Figure Source and year Recruiting dentists who called hiring assistants very or extremely challenging Nearly 87% HPI via ADA News, late 2022 Same measure Slightly more than 70% HPI via ADA News, end of 2024 Dentists who recruited hygienists or assistants in the prior three months 30% to 40% HPI via ADA News, late 2024 survey Dentists naming staffing shortages as the biggest 2025 challenge About 62% HPI via ADA News, late 2024 survey Dental assistants expecting to retire within five years 33.7% HPI survey, 2022 Projected annual openings, 2025 to 2035 About 53,000 BLS Projected job growth, 2025 to 2035 7 percent BLS Jobs in 2025 388,600 BLS ## Why is hiring assistants still hard? Several forces combine. ADA News quotes the chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice, who said the pandemic sped up the decline of an already shrinking pool of allied team members. They left through retirement, a career change, or other reasons. BLS says about 53,000 openings are projected each year over the decade, and that many come from workers who move to other occupations or leave the labor force. That means turnover is a large part of demand, not only new jobs. BLS also projects 28,800 more jobs from 2025 to 2035, a 7 percent rise, which is faster than the 3 percent average for all occupations. See the glossary entries for [workforce shortage](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/workforce-shortage) and [dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-assistant). ## What do assistants say about their jobs? The 2022 HPI survey asked thousands of assistants, hygienists, and dentists about satisfaction. It found that 60.0% of employed dental assistants rated their satisfaction between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale, and 7.2% rated it between 1 and 3. Among assistants with low satisfaction, the three most common reasons, in order, were insufficient pay, feeling overworked, and negative workplace culture. HPI reports that roughly half of assistants and hygienists had a raise in the past year, and most raises were in the 1% to 3% range. It also reports that health insurance, paid sick time, paid leave, and continuing education funds are rare overall. These are 2022 results. Conditions may differ in your area now. ## How do pay data compare? BLS reports a median annual wage for dental assistants of $48,070 in May 2025, or $23.11 per hour. The median across all occupations was $50,980. That is a national figure and not a range for your area. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,130, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,250. HPI’s April 2026 piece says that, after adjusting for inflation, the average wage for dental office staff is down from a few years ago, while wages for all private workers rose steadily. It ties this to rising practice costs and flat reimbursement, a squeeze on margins. See [dental assistant pay in Missouri](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-salary-in-missouri) for state-level context. ## What are states doing about workforce limits? Some states are changing who may do which tasks. HPI says Missouri recently introduced a pilot in which dental assistants trained to perform expanded functions, including supragingival scaling in patients diagnosed as periodontally healthy or with gingivitis. The Missouri Dental Association also runs a program for expanded function dental assistants. See [expanded function dental assistants in Missouri](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/expanded-function-dental-assistants-in-missouri), [Missouri oral preventive assistant pilot](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/missouri-oral-preventive-assistant-pilot), and the glossary entries for [EFDA](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/efda) and [scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice). ## What does the shortage mean for scheduling and patients? The sources here do not measure effects on patients or access to care, so this post makes no claim about them. What they do show is that most recruiting dentists still report hard hiring. An office with an open assistant position may need to plan coverage, cross-train current team members within the law, or adjust schedules while it recruits. Any shift in tasks must stay within your state’s rules. BLS notes that each state regulates the scope of practice for assistants, and that duties vary by state and office. Ask the Missouri Dental Board or your attorney before you change who does what. See the glossary entry for [delegation](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/delegation). ## How can an office respond? This post does not give a method. It points to what the sources describe. The 2022 HPI report says factors tied to retention include work-life balance, positive workplace culture, and the ability to help patients. The same report lists insufficient pay, lack of growth opportunity, inadequate benefits, and feeling overworked as attrition factors. It also reports that many recruiting dentists had raised starting pay, and about 45% had changed hours to meet applicant needs. Dentists facing extreme hiring difficulty used a wider range of recruitment outlets. For process, see how to hire a dental assistant. For the other half of the clinical team, see dental hygienist shortage. For the glossary view of retention, see employee retention. ## Next step For the full process of hiring and keeping a dental team, see [hire and keep a dental team](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/hire-and-keep-a-dental-team). To ask about staffing topics, [Contact Dr. Copeland about consulting](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a dental assistant shortage? ADA Health Policy Institute data reported by ADA News in February 2025 says hiring dental assistants remains hard. Slightly more than 70% of recruiting dentists called it very or extremely challenging by the end of 2024, down from nearly 87% in late 2022. ### Is the dental assistant shortage getting better? ADA News says recruitment has been slowly improving, based on HPI data. The drop from about 87% to a little over 70% is a sign of easing, but a majority of recruiting dentists still called hiring very or extremely challenging. ### How many dental assistant jobs will open each year? BLS projects about 53,000 openings for dental assistants each year, on average, over 2025 to 2035. Many come from workers who move to other occupations or leave the labor force, such as to retire. BLS also projects 7 percent job growth. ## Terms on this page - [Missouri Dental Association](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/missouri-dental-association) - [Oral preventive assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/oral-preventive-assistant) - [Missouri Dental Board](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/missouri-dental-board) - [Continuing education](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/continuing-education) - [Employee retention](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/employee-retention) - [Workforce shortage](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/workforce-shortage) - [Scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice) - [Dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-assistant) - [Dental hygienist](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-hygienist) - [Dental team](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-team) ## Sources 1. [ADA News: Five years later, staffing shortages and infection control since the COVID-19 pandemic (Feb. 27, 2025)](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2025/february/five-years-later-staffing-shortages-infection-control-since-the-covid-19-pandemic/) 2. [ADA Health Policy Institute: Dental Workforce Shortages, Data to Navigate Today's Labor Market (2022 survey)](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/dental_workforce_shortages_labor_market.pdf) 3. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dental Assistants (Occupational Outlook Handbook)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm) 4. [ADA Health Policy Institute: We Have a Major Dental Hygienist Shortage. It's Unlikely to Go Away Soon. (April 2026)](https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce/dental-hygienist-shortage) Written by Copeland Consulting Services and checked against the sources above on October 26, 2026. Rules, data and guidance change, so check the linked page before you act on it. ## Keep reading - [How to hire and keep a dental teamDental team hiring is hard because the supply of assistants and hygienists is tight. ADA Health Policy Institute research links retention to workplace culture, work-life balance and fair pay. Write job ads and interview questions around the job's duties, and ask an employment attorney before you finalize hiring and pay policies.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/hire-and-keep-a-dental-team) - [Dental assistant pay in Missouri: what BLS data showsThe Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 6,760 dental assistants in Missouri in May 2025, with a mean wage of $46,790 and a median of $45,970 a year, or $22.10 an hour. The national median is $48,070. Pay in one office depends on duties, skills and local labor markets.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-assistant-salary-in-missouri) - [Expanded function dental assistants in Missouri: the pathAn expanded function dental assistant (EFDA) is a dental assistant with added training who can perform extra tasks when a dentist delegates them. In Missouri, the path runs through an eligibility exam or license, an MDA course, and a Dental Board permit that must be issued before delegation.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/expanded-function-dental-assistants-in-missouri) - [The Missouri Oral Preventive Assistant pilot, explainedThe Oral Preventive Assistant pilot tested whether trained dental assistants could safely provide limited preventive care, such as supragingival scaling, for healthy patients in Missouri. The MDA reports positive results. As of October 2026, the MDA says the matching Periodontal EFDA rule is still in Missouri's rulemaking process.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/missouri-oral-preventive-assistant-pilot) - [Dental hygienist shortage: what ADA data shows in 2026ADA Health Policy Institute data published in April 2026 shows only 60% of dentists have an adequate number of dental hygienists on staff. Among dentists recruiting a hygienist, 91% called it very or extremely challenging. Enrollment is up 16% since 2020, but office staffing has stayed flat.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-hygienist-shortage) - [Dental leadership: team skills, training programs and where to learn themDental leadership is the work of guiding a dental team, a practice or a part of the profession. Core skills include clear communication, delegation, feedback and hiring. Learn them through team routines, mentors, organized dentistry such as the ADA and state societies, and formal programs like the ADEA Leadership Institute.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-leadership) ## Talk with Dr. Copeland [Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)