Latest / The Word of Mouth Podcast / Clever Ways States Are Addressing The Dental Workforce Shortage | WOM 007
Transcript
- Jeffrey Lunt: Welcome back to the Word of Mouth Podcast, your weekly podcast with the business, trends, and news shaping the face of dentistry. I'm your host, Jeff, and this is my co host Sarah. Sarah Lunt: Hey Jeff, good to be here today. Jeffrey Lunt: Awesome. Today we're gonna talk a little bit about some legislation that's shaping the workforce of dentistry. So some things that some trends and some news ⁓ that have come out about how dentists are handling the workforce shortage that is plaguing dentistry right now. Sarah Lunt: Yeah, and I think it's important that dentists are paying attention to these changes, Jeff. There are so many laws going into effect surrounding dentistry. It's a very dynamic field right now, and I think a lot of them will change the the future ⁓ of dentistry. ⁓ sor Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah. ⁓ if you want to keep going you can. Sarah Lunt: No, no, you go. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, they ⁓ ADA put out a report that kind of looked at the workforce ⁓ dynamics that are shaping dentistry right now, particularly at hygienists, dentists and dental assistants and kind of what trends are shaping the workplace dynamics between those those different professions. Sarah Lunt: Yeah, and what I found most interesting from from this report was just how bad it is for dentists right now with the workforce workforce shortage that you're talking about. It's ⁓ it talks about how one in er, pardon. It talks about how four in ten dentists are s okay, I lost my place. Is that did we take that out? ⁓ so sorry. It talks err There are four out of ten practices currently looking to hire hygienists or assistants, and nine out of ten of these dentists that are in search of hygienists say it's extremely difficult. They're having a really hard time tracking down ⁓ these employees. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, and I think you couple that with the fact that hygienists' salaries have gone up pr precipitously over the last five years. ⁓ finding a good hygienist who you can afford to pay ⁓ can definitely be a daunting task. But I think it also comes down to how the dentists are interacting with their hygienists. ⁓ part of this report, and we'll put this slide up on the screen, ⁓ if you're watching with us on YouTube, if you're ⁓ on ⁓ Spotify or Apple Music. Sorry. If you're an audio listener, we'll have links for all of these things in the description. But ⁓ this this graph shows that the benefits the dentists are providing aren't necessarily meeting the wants or needs of the high gen that are working for ⁓ And so certainly it's hard to attract and hire and ⁓ get good talent, but ⁓ just because of sheer numbers, but At the same time, you also have to be the kind of practice that attracts and is able to hire good talent because of the workplace environment as well as ⁓ the benefits that you're providing. Sarah Lunt: And I think that puts dentists in a tough spot. We've talked in past episodes about kind of the financial squeeze that dentists are feeling right now. So to, you know, in order to maintain these hygienists and they need to offer these benefits paid time off, ⁓ annual raises, stuff like that, I think it does put dentists in kind of an interesting situation because they're already feeling some some of that financial burden that comes with with the industry right now. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, certainly. It's there's not an easy solution ⁓ to these to these problems that are facing talk about sixty four percent ers sorry. It does talk about sixty four million Americans live in a dental desert where they don't have access to proper dental care. And like we talked about last week, there are two million ⁓ visits to the ER every year for non traumatic dental work. And I think a lot of that has to do with the shortages in these rural areas where the only option they have is to go to urgent care or an emergency room to get the dental care that they need. Sarah Lunt: Absolut. I think Indiana's taking a very interesting approach to this issue because I think there are tons of states across the country that face this this issue of not having the correct access to dental care. So Indiana's actually making it so foreign trained dentists that move into the US can now have the opportunity to become What is it? Dent okay. Foreign trained dentists now have the opportunity to become dental hygienists. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah. I d I just didn't know if you're gonna Okay. Sarah Lunt: Okay, I'm just I'm just gonna restart that. Indiana er Indiana recently signed a house bill which creates a new pathway for foreign trained dentists to practice as dental hygienists. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, super interesting way of tackling some of these dental shortages because obviously ⁓ you've heard you hear stories about people who have been surgeons in their home country, they moved to the US, they can't practice, and now all of a sudden they're the local garbage man. ⁓ and so taking advantage of people not necessarily taking advantage, but ⁓ utilizing the workforce that exists in ⁓ in your home state with people in an international capacity, ⁓ I think is a genius way to to kind of bridge that gap. And so if they've been trained as a dentist in another country, they have a easier route to licensure to become a dental hygienist, which is something that especially in rural rural areas, ⁓ is needed to kind of bridge bridge the dental labor market gap. Sarah Lunt: Do we want to talk about this one more or move on? Sorry. Jeffrey Lunt: ⁓ I mean no, I mean keep talking about this one. I think ⁓ talking about the nitrous oxide certification, ⁓ Sarah Lunt: ⁓ I'll talk about Florida, maybe? Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah. That's what I would just talk about. Like it also o opens the opportunity for them to ⁓ to make nitrous oxide certification. Like it opens the opportunity to make certifications easier for even things like nitrous oxide. Sarah Lunt: For those people specifically or just in general? Jeffrey Lunt: ⁓ for ⁓ people in general. It's ⁓ I mean you can are you looking at the script? It's just that first point. Sarah Lunt: So the Okay. Yeah, and this bill also updates the certification requirements for not er pardon, for nitrous oxide, which allows state approved organizations to offer this training rather than just Coda accredited programs, making it more accessible and more available to to those interested in that certification. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, I mean, if we look at kind of the history of dentistry, ⁓ and kind of the barber surgeon in the twelfth and thirteenth century, ⁓ dentistry used to be super unregulated. And then in eighteen forty, when we had the first dental school in America, first dental school in the world, in Baltimore, things started to get more heavily regulated, ⁓ which I think is a good thing and moved a dentistry forward generally as a business and as a healthcare practice. But It's introduced a lot of barriers ⁓ and bureaucracy that I think a lot of states are now trying to remove to make it more accessible again for these people in underserved populations, which I think ultimately ⁓ there's the pros and cons, right? It makes things a little bit less regulated, which is always a little bit scary. But at the same time, but having dental access to dental care may be what ⁓ is ultimately the solution for some of these people that don't have access to a dentist. I think the ADA in their report said that it would take about ten thousand new dentists in America to overcome the label the the ⁓ labor shortage ⁓ and provide adequate dental care to ⁓ to everyone in America and so that's probably not gonna happen fast and so bridging the gap with some of these other legislative measures ⁓ seems like a good way to make that progress and then opens up the door for a lot of people to ⁓ hire hygienists who may have been dentists in a in their their country of origin. And so anyways, I think that there are some really creative things being done to try and bridge that gap ⁓ by relaxing some of the regulations in a way that is still safe. Sarah Lunt: Yeah, I think that leads us a little bit into kind of the third part of this bill, which introduces kind of some more flexibility for those who have struggled with licensure exams in the past, right? Those who have tried to take these exams and have failed. I think, like you said, it's maybe kind of a fine line be between, you know, being too loosey-goosey and being too strict. But I think some of these things kind of allowing more f flexibility, offering more opportunity to enter the field I think is is really great. I think it's awesome that Indiana and other states are taking this initi initiative to try and solve some of these problems. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah. So I mean, we talked about a couple of weeks ago, ⁓ Utah opening the path for hygienists to operate independently, independent of a d overseeing dentist in hospitals and other ⁓ situations, and that expands for us, particularly access to dental care in rural areas. ⁓ just going to see a hygienist. I think a lot of these things, these legislative measures are focused primarily on preventative care. And Florida is also trying to do something. It didn't it passed the House overwhelmingly, but it got stuck in the the state Senate. But ⁓ it's it's still on the table, it's just been delayed a little bit, and they're trying to establish a new career field, which is a dental therapist. Sarah Lunt: And these dental therapists, they're kind of in between a hygienist and a dentist, so they can perform some of the more basic pac procedures like fillings and extractions under dental supervision, but they kind of can fill in some of those services that a hygienist can't do, that a dentist can, but kind of takes their time and attention away from some of the bigger ⁓ cases. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, I think this is a super interesting Yeah, I think this is a super interesting move by Florida. We just got done ⁓ spending some time with one of our clients down in Texas, and they have the two practice owner partner dentists, and then they have an associate who does a lot of their ⁓ more preventative work. And this would be an amazing opportunity for a practice like theirs. They love their associate, and their associate does a lot of surgery now as well, has kind of moved into and become a part of the practice that way. But For a practice like theirs that's looking for a new associate, ⁓ this dental therapist would be a perfect fit where the the primary dentists, ⁓ the practice owners would be able to focus on the procedures that they want to, ⁓ kind of the higher-end procedures. And then they have a dental therapist who's not necessarily ⁓ expecting a full dental salary, but can come in and handle the workload that. ⁓ kind of the drill and fill dentistry, that bread and butter dentistry, they could handle that ⁓ workload and relieve some of the pressure from the hygienists and also some of the pressure from from the other dentists. So I think it's a super clever way to do it based on the independent in I think it's a super clever way to handle the problem based on the typical independent practice model. Sarah Lunt: I completely agree. And I mean, Jeff, last week we looked at the there are two million people every year going to the ER for dental issues, right? And in Florida alone, they charged these hospitals charged nearly one billion dollars for these ER visits relating to preventable dental pain. And I think, like you said, these These dental therapists could really fill some of those gaps and take that weight off of not only dentists and hygienists, but also these ERs that are being overwhelmed with with these cases that, you know, they're not meant to solve. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, I and too, the patients, of course, are just paying a ton of money to go to the ER and for them it might be the only option, but if there isn't dentist who sorry, but if there is a dentist who is able to or a dental therapist in this case who's able to take some of that burden, ⁓ it not only saves the ERs that volume of patient ⁓ throughput It not only saves the ERs from having to see all those patients, but it also saves the patients money. So I think it ends up being a a win win win where everyone's coming out ahead, ⁓ if it if it works the way that they're trying to trying to set it up. Sarah Lunt: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's awesome that states like Florida and Indiana, although Florida this didn't go through, I think it's cool that they're trying to solve these issues, that they're noticeing the pain points and they're trying to come up with creative solutions. I think that's exactly what dentistry is needing right now. We've talked about dental deserts, right? And I think Florida has a lot of those areas where Floridans just don't have access to to dent the dental care they need, which is why so many are headed to the ER, right? Is because they they wait until it's a little too late. ⁓ they don't have access to this routine care. So I think it's a great solution that Florida's offering. I hope they're able to come up with some sort of solution. ⁓ but I just hope more and more states continue to be creative with some of these solutions. I think they can make a big difference for a lot of these states. Jeffrey Lunt: Well and ⁓ the dentists can be creative. We talked a lot last week about ways that dentists can be a little bit more creative and how they run their business. And so, ⁓ obviously help from the states, help help from legislation makes a difference, but the dentists, ⁓ they have the opportunity to also be entrepreneurial and And think about ways for them to grow their practice and address some of these needs. Because anywhere where there is needs, and especially in places where there are growing needs, there is opportunities for growth and business development. And so, ⁓ dentists who are feeling like they're not making as much money, ⁓ which is demonstrably true across the nation, there are still opportunities out there. We've talked several times about the expanding dental market and So figuring out how to claim your piece of that of that pie is is really what what this is all about. What's what why we're talking about the news, why we're talking about ⁓ the trends in dentistry is to help dentists just kind of get the wheels turning, think about ways that ⁓ they have opportunities to grow their practice. And ⁓ I mean, speaking of opportunities, the ⁓ Congress just passed a house bill that extends that extends the action for dental Health Act to twenty grants for people to ⁓ practice dentistry and do mobile dentist dental clinics in underserved populations and those grants, ⁓ that money is now available through twenty twenty eight. Sarah Lunt: And yeah, and I think this is great. I think we've talked a lot about these dental deserts that a lot of that are we've talked a lot about these dental deserts that are all across the United States. I think these grants can definitely help get some dental care into those areas so that the ERs, the dentists, they're not as overwhelmed. It'll be interesting to see, like you said, Jeff, tons of opportunity. It'll be interesting to see how dentists and how ⁓ these programs are capitalizing on this opportunity. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, and I think it also indicates ⁓ a governmental focus on prevention over treatment. So these kinds of programs are really intended to go out and help prevent the issues from becoming issues rather than go out and do like in depth treatment. Obviously The treatment is important for those who need it, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of ⁓ solution, as they say. And this is an opportunity for sure for dentists to get involved, ⁓ kind of get their name out, get some good PR, ⁓ go out and serve these underserved populations and get the grants for it. ⁓ but it's also just again points out that there are opportunities for dentists across the country. take advantage of places where there is underutilization or ⁓ an underserved population. And ⁓ again, anytime there is a gap like that, there's an opportunity. Sarah Lunt: Definitely. this bill also talks about staffing support, which we've talked about, we talked about a little bit earlier in the podcast, but this act specifically targets the recruitment of dental assistants and hygienists. ⁓ and we know there's a high demand and a short supply for for hygienists and and dental assistants. So I think that added help will will be huge for some of these dentists. I think it's Really interesting that the federal government sees such a need for this for these grants for dentists. I think they can see some of the pain that dentists are feeling, and I think it's great that they're coming in to help. Like you said, prevention over treatment in the long run, it's gonna save ⁓ it's gonna save us a lot of money, it's gonna save the government a lot of money. So I think it's it's great that the federal government's willing to step in and help. Of course, there are always pros and cons with this type of thing, but I think there is some opportunity, like you said, for dentists and I think it's something they they should definitely be taking advantage of. Jeffrey Lunt: Yeah, and and I mean whether or not this is the right solution, and for the government to get involved, obviously, like you said, there's always pros and cons, but it does show that this is a national ⁓ this is an issue of national importance. ⁓ we see it across the country, we see it here in the West, in Utah, we see it in the Midwest, in Indiana, we see it in the ⁓ South with Florida. They're this is a issue that is affecting the entire country and so ⁓ whether or not this is the right solution ⁓ is certainly ⁓ up for debate. ⁓ but it doesn't the thing that is not debatable is that it is a priority, and a big issue that's affecting people across the country. And so the the faster we can get it solved, the better off everyone is. ⁓ like you mentioned, that's more work for dentists, ⁓ which all which will help ⁓ bridge that gap. that's better care for patients. ⁓ it decreases pressure on the emergency room. So ⁓ however these issues get solved, they solve a myriad of kind of cascading issues. And so ⁓ it's it's super important for ⁓ dentists to understand this because again, like I've been harping on where there is a gap, there's an opportunity. And so dentists have an opportunity to Take advantage of that and move their practices forward, move their personal, ⁓ dental care and ⁓ let's see. Move their practices forward, ⁓ care for more patients, improve their personal PR, ⁓ what have you, to grow and continue to ⁓ future proof their practice. The the more that you are on the cutting edge, the the longer runway you have before kind of new trends and technology catches up with you. Sarah Lunt: Sure. And I think a lot of these states are, you know, passing laws that provide more gaps and more opportunities for these dentists, right? So I think it's important that dentists are staying up to date on these legal changes across the United States. I think it's interesting to see some of the trends and some of the directions these states are heading in, even if it's not your state, your home state. I think it still ⁓ can have an effect on you. And we can see some of those. those trends nationally. And ⁓ I think that's a ⁓ sorry. Jeffrey Lunt: And and for sure, ⁓ the opportunities ⁓ if you recognize places, write to your state legislature, there's opportunities for you to help your state adopt some of these innovative practices if they're of interest to you. If if you think dental therapists should be a thing, i i it starts with someone and that someone can can definitely be be one of our listeners. And so ⁓ super excited to kind of see where the future of this all goes. that's a lot of legislative focus ⁓ for this week. and we're looking forward to next week. We're gonna be talking a little bit about some changing trends and some exciting new technology that I think will will be a huge thing in dentistry. ⁓ so make sure you subscribe, click the bell so that you're notified when a new episode comes out. If you're on ⁓ your favorite ⁓ we're also on your favorite podcasting platforms so Apple, Spotify, ⁓ Overcast, ⁓ anywhere where you listen to podcasts we you can find us. ⁓ make sure to subscribe, leave a rating, leave a comment. ⁓ we love to connect with people ⁓ in the comments and ⁓ we'll look forward to seeing you in the next one. Sarah Lunt: Awesome. Thanks, Jeff.