The current status of allied dental faculty: a survey report

Allied dental program directors have expressed increasing concerns about possible current and future shortages of allied dental educators. As a result, the ADEA Board of Directors created a task force to investigate the current status of allied dental faculty, including the degree of cultural diversity, and to identify whether current and/or potential future shortages of educators exist. A survey was sent to all accredited allied dental program directors. Results indicated that a current faculty shortage exists for dental assisting and dental hygiene programs, with a projected greater future shortage for all allied dental education disciplines, primarily as a result of retirement of current faculty members. The data collected also revealed a lack of diversity in allied dental faculties, especially in dental hygiene and dental assisting programs. Recommendations for action steps included investigating: 1) the use of technology to provide the faculty expertise necessary to allow more affordable quality education in almost any location and to maximize available resources; 2) alternative ways to reward faculty; 3) loan forgiveness as an incentive for exemplary graduates to pursue educational career goals; 4) an ongoing database to monitor the status of allied dental educators; and 5) best practices in higher education to attract a more diverse student body and faculty in terms of gender, ethnicity, and race.