I often get asked what the state of Maryland and organized dentistry are doing to eliminate staffing shortages, particularly with dental hygienists. As a general dentist owner of a dental practice in Montgomery County, I know the issue all too well as it came to an all-new level this past week.

Sunday night, I got the call. Diane, a dental hygienist I have had the privilege of working closely with for more than 30 years, had died after a 6-month battle with cancer. Six days later as I write this, my staff, patients, her family and I are still in shock. Fearful patients would drive for miles just to have an enjoyable dental hygiene appointment with Diane. She was the consummate dental team player, always uplifting and kind to her fellow team members. To say she will be missed is a huge understatement. She is irreplaceable and illustrates just how precious life is. I know the next generation of dental hygienists and other dental health care workers will learn from the stories of Diane’s kindness and skilled patient care.

So, how best do we as a community work toward having a growing team of employees skilled like Diane was? I like to think of a “farm system” much like our Baltimore Orioles has developed and works so well for them! For the O’s, it was not an instant success. It takes time and good management to build a solid ball club. Farm team development may not be an instant success for the dental profession, but will benefit our practices in the long run.

Unfortunately, we are not alone in our workforce challenges. At the state level, the MSDA worked with other health professions to advocate for a statewide task force to come up with solutions for the healthcare workforce shortages. The task force spent more than six months following the 2023 legislative session studying the issue. A few of the recommendations were:

1. Creation of a state workforce data center
2. Increase funding for and/or expand current workforce programs (such as the DentCare Student Loan program)
3. Consider changing licensing requirements and scope of practice
4. Examine Medicaid reimbursement models
5. Evaluate options for expanding statewide capacity for education of health professionals

The MSDA has already worked for the dental profession on several of the recommendations.

For example, the MSDA worked to pass legislation to improve the DentCare Student Loan Repayment program by increasing funding as well as ensuring dental hygienists could take advantage of the program. As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, MSDA is also helping to provide training for dental assistants to prepare for Dental Assisting National Board's radiology exam as well as other continuing education programs for the entire dental team. In addition, our efforts to change the scope of practice for dental assistants continues as the Board of Dental Examiners moves forward with regulations (more on that in a few weeks).

On a personal level, I have tried the following to boost my “farm team” while at the same time providing community outreach:

1. This year, my office is participating in the Montgomery County Summer RISE program. We are rotating 5 high school students through our office who stated in their RISE application that they had a particular interest in the dental profession. Tomorrow evening, we kick off a Zoom orientation for the students and parents featuring input from a diverse group of dental team members. Students must obtain 50 hours each of virtual or in-person instruction to complete the program. Instruction includes CDC Bloodborne Pathogen Guidelines, HIPPA Regulations, and mentoring/observation of various procedures performed within the office. You may want to consider contacting your school district to see if they have such a program or start your own program with a group of interested teenagers in your area. I have had a number of great mentor students who have gone on to do great things in dental school, dental hygiene school or become wonderful dental assistants! By showing a little interest in teenagers, you may ignite within them a passion for the profession.
    
2. There are seven accredited dental hygiene programs in Maryland. According to the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) there are 30 accredited dental assisting schools across Maryland. Many of these schools lack educators for basic dental assisting school or dental radiology courses. Reach out to the school closest to you and see if you can assist in any way to mentor a student or give a presentation. It’s a good way of putting your foot in the door to meet potential team members. 
    
3. Advocate with your state legislators and local government officials about the staffing shortages we are facing. Encourage full funding for high school and community college health related occupational training programs. Explain to officials that such programs lead to high-quality paying jobs for our younger residents. One issue I have been talking to Montgomery County officials is the lack of affordable housing for our employees. High interest rates and escalating home prices have forced many employees to commute long distances or even move out of the area. Affordable housing near work in a must to retain employees and better for the environment.
    

It seems many occupations have suffered worker shortages post-pandemic and have yet to recover. To obtain a high quality and well-trained work force, we all need to work together for positive solutions.

I will truly miss my friend Diane, but I will put my sorrows into action to help train the future Dianes of tomorrow.