Survey results revealed: Are dental assistants happy?

An Australian Dental Association (ADA) and Dental Assistants Professional Association (DAPA) survey has accomplished a deep dive into the causes of dental assistant shortages, with the ensuing comprehensive analysis aiming to better equip policymakers, practices, and educators with insights to tackle the challenge.

This survey aims to shed light on dental assistant shortages by:

- pinpointing the root causes of workforce gaps;

- gaining firsthand insights into the experiences and challenges faced by dental assistants;

- identifying potential solutions to address shortages; and

- equipping practice operators (and other stakeholders) with data-driven recommendations.
 

Surveying the dental assistant landscape
 

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the dental assistant experience, we conducted a survey and promoted it to DAPA members, through Peer, and on social media, and received 169 responses during the first half of 2024. The survey reached both current and former dental assistants in every state and territory and included a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions. These questions explored key areas such as work environment, job satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement.
 

Cohort characteristics
 

Over 99% of respondents indicated that they are currently or have in the past worked as a dental assistant. A small proportion of respondents are currently working in dental reception, management, or coordination roles. Years of dental assisting experience varied. While 13% have worked in this occupation for 1-3 years, 34% have 10-20 years of total experience in the field, indicating a mix of new and seasoned professionals.
 

Motivations for entering dental assisting
 

Over 40% of respondents ranked desire to work in healthcare as their top reason for interest in the role, followed by 23% for whom it was an interest in the dental field that initially motivated them. Career opportunities and advancement was the next top reason most selected by incumbents (12%). This suggests a strong correlation between an interest in health and dental professions and the decision to pursue dental assisting.

You might like to leverage these motivational insights to craft compelling job ad headlines likely to catch the eye of candidates, saving you time and money. Here are some ad headline or sub-headline ideas that you could use or adapt:

Make a Difference in Smiles. Join Our Dental Assistant Team!

Calling Healthcare Heroes! Dental Assistant Opportunity Awaits.

Launch Your Healthcare Career. Dental Assistant Positions Available.

88% told us that if considering a new role, they’d value attending that clinic to observe treatment for a part or full day. You could enhance your recruiting efforts and enable increased awareness, ahead of a start date, by offering an observational visit.
 

Two-thirds would like expanded roles
 

About two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they would like more responsibility, for example, by taking impressions and applying fluoride varnish. This highlights a strong desire for professional development in dental assisting.

Expanding dental assistants’ roles with appropriate additional duties might benefit your clinic and boost staff satisfaction. To implement this concept, you would need to ensure consistency with regulatory frameworks, and consider how treatment outcomes could remain optimised. 
 

Top factors for dental assistant retention
 

Our survey revealed higher pay, flexible working arrangements, an emphasis on teamwork, and ability to work in complimentary roles, are top factors driving staff attraction and retention. Other factors, such as training and
development ranked highly (although not amongst the top four strategies).

A roadmap to improved retention and motivation

While practices may not be able to fulfill every candidate preference, valuable insights from the survey highlight some opportunities for enhancement. Your practice may like to consider these options based on the findings:

- Routinely review and adjust pay scales to consider market rates, local competition for staff across industries, and cost of living;

- Embrace flexibility by offering flexible work schedules to support work-life balance where possible;
 

- Consult staff, in ways that they find safe, to learn more about what they value or to surface opportunities for adjustment; and

- Consider offering a part-day observational visit to candidates in close contention for a role.