NORFOLK, Va. — Long waits aren't what you want when you're trying to see the dentist. The issue stems from workforce shortages and it's seen across the country and here in Hampton Roads.
Now, some in our area are working to spark curiosity in the field.
Wednesday afternoon Virginia high schoolers were looking at teeth, setting up x-rays and learning more about dentistry. It was all part of a camp put on by ODU and Delta Dental — the third annual Dental Health Summer Institute.
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Those who put on the camp hoped to help ignite passion for dental health careers during a critical time for the profession.
"Currently in Virginia a lot of people are having to wait six months to a year to even get in to see a dentist. So, it's really important that we are insuring there is enough of a workforce that people can get in and get their cleanings done and all their preventive treatment," explained Polly Raible, executive director of Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation.
"A lot of it started maybe with the pandemic and some people leaving the profession because of some of the changes that came from that or other stressors that landed in their family and then they just didn't come back. So, that's probably the biggest thing that skyrocketed it, but we were already headed for a workforce shortage," added Jessica Suedbeck, assistant professor and senior clinic coordinator at ODU School of Dental Hygiene.
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The Virginia Dental Association data shows there's not enough people entering the field. One specific area of concern is the significant imbalance of dentists to hygienists. Last year roughly 480 dentists got licensed in Virginia but just over 280 hygienists got licensed.
"We don't want to pay a dentist to clean teeth because we need the dentist to do more restorative work and things that they went to school to do. So, we want them to work at the top of their license. So, without hygienists, without assistants, they're having to do everything," said Raible.
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The gaps impact everyone and data shows the barriers to quality oral care only increase for uninsured and under-insured individuals, those in the field say. They don't want to see any more long waits or missed appointments.
"Dentistry is important because the mouth is connected to the rest of the body. It's the window to overall health. We have to take care of what's going on here for everything else to work properly too. So, very important for preventative care for people to come and see us," said Suedbeck.
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The camp is just one way those in our area are trying to increase numbers and improve diversity – organizers will be checking in periodically to see if the effort helps move the needle.
Also, ODU's dental hygiene program has been approved to increase class size, other organizations have been looking to implement public policy changes, and Virginia was the fifth state to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact this year that allows more flexibility for licensed dentists and dental hygienists to practice state-to-state.
