Virginia facing dental hygienist shortage, according to state report

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia is facing a dental hygienist workforce shortage, according to a new report from the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP).

The DHP's Healthcare Workforce Data Center found that Virginia continues to outpace the national average in its concentration of dentists while falling short of the national average in the number of dental hygienists in the workforce.

The 2024 report found that the commonwealth has 6,283 dentists in the workforce compared to 5,306 dental hygienists, an uneven ratio that can delay patient care. Hygienists are preventative specialists in a dental office, and a dentist is permitted to supervise up to four hygienists.

"Imagine if your local hospital had more doctors than nurses, that’s what dental offices are facing every day,” said Virginia Dental Association CEO Ryan Dunn. “When preventative dental care is out of reach, it means dentists are treating more advanced dental disease, which means greater health risks in patients, life-threatening infections and cancer that isn’t caught early, and many Virginians missing work and school due to unplanned dental treatment."

The report also states that Virginia’s concentration of dentists is well above the national average, with 70.5 dentists per 100,000 people, compared to 60.4 nationally. The state’s concentration of dental hygienists is well below the national average, with 60.5 hygienists per 100,000 people compared to 65.04 nationally.

This ongoing shortage has put extra strain and pressure on dental offices. A recent poll by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute found that half of the dentist workforce have personally taken on duties previously assigned to other team members due to staffing challenges, preventing them from practicing at the top of their license and limiting their ability to care for more patients.

The Virginia Dental Association claims that complex accreditation requirements and comparatively high operating costs contribute to a limited number of dental hygiene education programs in Virginia.

Additionally, the report found most dental hygienists work between 30-39 hours a week and 95% of Virginia hygienists report that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their current role.

Visit the Virginia Department of Health Professions website for more information.