Effective Strategies to Help Recruit and Retain Top Dental Staff

If your dental practice is ready to recruit dentists and dental team members, it can be important to know what you are looking for in candidates. The dental job market can be competitive, with staff shortages often driven by economic and educational challenges, regulatory changes and burnout.¹ As a result, dental hiring can be a struggle when trying to find the right people at the right time.

It’s important to recruit the right professionals for your practice to help maintain high productivity, keep appointment wait times reasonable and sustain both office morale and patient satisfaction. It can be worth it to get your entire team on board to successfully recruit dentists and other staff members and help create a place where people want to work and want to stay.

Understanding Today’s Job Market for Dentists and Dental Staff

The United States faces a current shortage of approximately 10,725 dentists, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).² Many dental practices are actively recruiting dentists to address this shortage, but there are still not enough professionals to fill every position, especially in rural areas.

Authenticity, honesty and personality can help with dental recruitment, and delivering in these areas can help potential candidates decide whether your practice is the right fit for them.

• Know who and what you want. Does your practice need a periodontist, certified Invisalign® provider or general dentist? Maybe you could use a marketing strategist or billing expert to manage social media or payment options. Be specific about responsibilities and expectations. If your practice relies heavily on software and digital imaging, for instance, make sure candidates are comfortable with technology or quick learners.
• Showcase what you offer. You know it’s great to work for your dental team, but any potential hires will want concrete information about what you offer like a competitive salary, great benefits, a flexible schedule or every other Friday off. If you’re the kind of practice that makes clever TikTok videos to show off your office, or if you celebrate birthdays in a big way, advertise your personality.
• Look in the right places. To recruit the experienced, qualified professionals you want on your team, advertise in smart locations. Choose dental-specific job sites, dental schools or trade schools. For assistants and office staff, advertising can go broader, but it’s still important to be clear about the job to bring in top-tier candidates. Consider adding a “Careers” page to your practice website.

Build Your Practice for Successful Dental Hiring and Retention of Talented Staff

Recruiting is one part of the dental hiring process — dental staff retention is another. You might appeal to job candidates by letting them know how your practice operates daily and what they will experience if they become part of your team.

Create a positive workplace culture

Many people can appreciate the importance of feeling valued at work and being part of a positive team environment. High staff morale is palpable in an office and can deliver positive first-impression vibes, which can encourage potential job candidates to want to stay. Show candidates that open communication and honest feedback are nurtured among all, achievements are celebrated and team meetings are designed to foster respect and support strong work relationships. When you’re known as a great place to work, dental recruitment can be easier.

Offer competitive compensation and benefits

Skilled dental professionals know what salaries are like in your region — you should too, and aim to meet, or exceed, the minimum for experienced staff. In addition to competitive compensation, other perks such as bonuses, incentives, gift cards, comprehensive benefits and regular salary reviews can make your practice even more attractive.

Provide professional growth and development opportunities

Professional growth and development opportunities can give employees a reason to commit to working at your practice for the long haul, especially when promoted from within. Employees who are supported in pursuing continuing education may be more likely to stay. It’s worthwhile to encourage cross-training and mentorship to show that you care about your team’s present and future with your practice. By prioritizing growth, you can show that you invest in your people.

Promote work-life balance and employee well-being

Burnout is a reality, but so is burnout prevention. Dental teams can be faced with long hours and intense job responsibilities, which can create stress and may cause people to leave their jobs. To support the team you build, consider prioritizing smart and flexible scheduling so everyone can work reasonable hours, get adequate rest and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Small efforts like encouraging employees to take full lunch breaks and always use their allotted days off can make a difference for present and future employees.

Support strong leadership and clear communication

Clear communication is essential among dental teams, and it’s equally important in patient interactions, whether describing a procedure, delivering empathy or handling a difficult financial conversation. When it comes time to recruit a new team member, assess their abilities of how they might respond to possible encounters.¹

Training your own leaders in effective management and curating an environment of transparency and openness is something to brag about with potential job candidates. Employees want to know they will be in good hands.

Patient Financing Options Can Support Dental Practices

Financing options may help when it comes to dentist recruiting. The CareCredit credit card, for example, can help case acceptance by offering patients convenient financing options. Practices that enjoy increased revenue may choose to invest in hiring and retaining skilled staff, which may help alleviate some of the internal pressure felt by teams.

CareCredit can be a helpful integrated payment solution for building a dental practice. When patients are empowered to move forward with treatment through convenient financing options, it can help improve payment timeliness. A practice that runs smoothly and supports patients in managing cost concerns may make for a comfortable and appealing work environment where employees wish to stay.

Smart Dental Hiring Begins With a Well-Run Dental Practice

Understanding today’s job market for dentists and dental staff and building a positive, supportive workplace are key to attracting and retaining talented dental professionals. By offering competitive pay, fostering growth, promoting work-life balance and maintaining strong communication, your practice can become a place where employees want to stay.

A Dental Patient Financing Solution for Your Practice

Want to help more patients move forward with the dental care they want or need? Consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows patients to pay for out-of-pocket dental care costs over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice.

When you accept CareCredit, patients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a dental patient financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Elizabeth Weiss is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience in content development for dentistry, orthodontics and cosmetic dermatology. She focuses on making healthcare topics accessible to readers and contributes to many fields, from family and estate law to industrial services and landscape design.

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