Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Dental auxiliaries wanted! Please apply
1Department of Dental Health School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stoney Brook.
The Dental Assistant
|July 1, 1991
Summary
The number of dental auxiliaries is decreasing, with fewer students entering training programs and inadequate compensation contributing to workforce shortages. This trend is unlikely to reverse soon, impacting dental practices nationwide.
Area of Science:
- Dental Workforce Research
- Healthcare Economics
Background:
- Dental practices face increasing demand for auxiliary staff.
- National and local dental organizations are promoting recruitment and retention programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review changes in dental auxiliary student numbers and demographics over the past decade.
- To analyze shifts in financial compensation for dental auxiliaries.
- To update previous reports on auxiliary training, salaries, and working arrangements through 1990.
Main Methods:
- Review of data on dental auxiliary student enrollment and characteristics.
- Analysis of salary and compensation trends for dental assistants, hygienists, and technicians.
- Comparison of current data with historical trends from the 1970s to mid-1980s.
Main Results:
- A decline in the number of dental auxiliary students and graduates.
- Stagnant or inadequate financial compensation for dental auxiliaries.
- Persistent and worsening dental team workforce shortages.
Conclusions:
- The dwindling supply of dental auxiliaries, coupled with insufficient compensation, exacerbates workforce shortages.
- The trend of declining numbers and inadequate pay for dental auxiliaries is projected to continue.
- Addressing financial compensation is crucial for improving recruitment and retention in the dental auxiliary workforce.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution itself.
01:18Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-II
An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care. Here are a few more healthcare professionals.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
01:15Teeth
The formation of teeth, also known as odontogenesis, is a complex process that begins in utero, around the sixth week of embryonic development. There are three stages to this process: the bud stage, the cap stage, and the bell stage.
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The human tooth enables us to eat a variety of foods, speak clearly, and even aid in shaping our faces. Teeth are composed of various elements that work together. Here's a detailed look at the anatomy of a human tooth.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.