Why Private Practices Struggle to Retain Hygienists

Key Takeaways

• Dental hygienist turnover rarely has one simple cause—concerns regarding compensation, workload, scheduling, management, and career expectations can compound one another over time.

• When one dental hygienist leaves a practice, the resulting vacancy can increase pressure on the remaining team and contribute to additional burnout and an even higher turnover rate.

• Practices can rely on temporary staffing solutions to maintain coverage while they address the underlying conditions that affect long-term hygienist retention.

Quick Answer: Retention problems often stem from several factors, so dental practices should evaluate the full employment experience, from compensation and scheduling flexibility to workload, workplace culture, and management support.

Dental Hygienists Usually Look at the Bigger Picture

Some aspects of the dental hygienist role look the same at every practice. For example, the ability to exercise clinical expertise and communicate with patients is a requirement everywhere. However, some practices ask more from their staff than others and offer different things in return.

Therefore, dental hygienists often look at a multitude of factors to determine if a particular practice is the place they want to continue building their career at. They may evaluate their compensation, how predictable and flexible their hours are, how manageable the patient volume is, workplace culture, benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

With so many factors at play, it can be challenging to know exactly why a dental hygienist is leaving your practice. The guide below can help your team hone in on what may be contributing to hygienist burnout, and it explains how issues can compound and raise turnover rates in the long term.

Common Reasons Why Hygienists Leave Practices

A survey orchestrated by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute revealed these as the top five reasons dental hygienists voluntarily left their jobs and chose a new path:

1. Poor workplace culture
2. Lack of advancement opportunities
3. Unsatisfactory benefits
4. Being overworked
5. Communication concerns in the practice

Other noteworthy reasons included insufficient pay, practice philosophy, and the need for a more flexible work schedule.

Most hygienists selected more than one reason when participating in the survey, meaning even if a practice owner solves one of these concerns, there may be other issues that contribute to a dental hygienist leaving their practice.

How One Hygienist Vacancy Can Affect the Whole Practice

A dental hygienist leaving a practice can require more than simply posting a new job opening. Even one vacancy can make it difficult for the practice to maintain its normal production levels, leading to problems like:

• Hygiene appointments may need to be rescheduled
• Patients may experience longer waits
• The remaining hygienists may have to absorb some of the impact

If the practice tries to preserve the same number of appointments with fewer hygienists, employees may be asked to take on additional patients or adjust their schedules and potentially work longer hours. Without the right support and time management techniques, this added pressure can fuel hygienist burnout and encourage more turnover.

Tips for Assessing Your Dental Office’s Retention Concerns

Practice owners hoping to identify reasons for their high turnover rate should review how their dental hygienist positions are structured, including factors like scheduling, workload, management, autonomy, compensation, and growth opportunities.

Below are some retention factors and corresponding questions you can ask yourself and your team to understand your situation better.

Scheduling

• Are hours predictable and consistent?

• Is there enough flexibility for time-off requests?

• Are hygienists regularly asked to work extra hours?

Patient Volume

• Is the number of daily appointments sustainable?

• Are hygienists consistently working at maximum capacity?

• Is patient volume distributed fairly across the team?

Appointment Length

• Are appointment lengths appropriate for different types of patients and procedures?

• Are hygienists expected to rush or routinely work through breaks to stay on schedule?

Management

• Are employee concerns addressed promptly?

• Do managers communicate clearly and consistently?

• Does management follow through when problems are identified?

Autonomy

• Do hygienists have a voice in scheduling, appointment lengths, and clinical workflows?

• Do hygienists have reasonable control over how they perform their responsibilities?

Growth

• Are there opportunities for learning and professional development?

• Is there a path for long-term growth within the practice?

Gathering feedback from current and departing hygienists can provide clarity. You may learn that your vacancies are not due to a problem with your office. A dental hygienist may leave a practice because of personal circumstances, such as relocation or retirement. The concern becomes greater when vacancies happen repeatedly.

Retention Starts With the Job You Are Actually Offering

When a position becomes vacant, an owner may focus on hiring a new dental hygienist without addressing why the position became difficult to retain in the first place.

Practice owners should look at dental staffing rates and research the benefits and schedule structure that competitors are offering their hygienists to ensure the following:

• Compensation is competitive
• Benefits sufficiently support the employees and their families
• The schedule balances predictability and flexibility
• Patient volume is kept at a reasonable flow
• Appointment lengths leave enough room for appropriate care
• Access to reliable equipment, administrative support, and clinical resources

It is also worth considering whether the position offers the professional environment candidates were promised during recruitment—a job description may describe a supportive team and flexible schedule, but the employee's experience may not align with those claims.

Temporary Solutions While You Work on a Permanent Fix

Even a well-run practice will occasionally experience staffing gaps. Sometimes, hygienists leave unexpectedly, take vacations, call out sick, or go on parental leave. Patient demand can also increase temporarily, creating a need for additional coverage.

Thankfully, there are temporary dental staffing solutions available that can help you manage these situations without overwhelming your existing hygiene team. While you work to hire dental staff with the right qualities to be a long-term member of your team, you can temporarily bring on vetted hygienists to keep appointments on the schedule and reduce cancellations.

Although there are a lot of benefits associated with on-demand dental staffing, it does not automatically wash away the factors that may be contributing to turnover, such as inconsistent schedules or management concerns.

Building a Practice Hygienists Want to Stay With

Retaining hygienists requires attention to the everyday conditions of the job. Practice owners can evaluate whether workloads are sustainable, schedules are predictable, compensation is competitive, and employees have adequate staffing and management support. They can also create regular opportunities for hygienists to discuss concerns before those concerns become reasons to leave.

For practices dealing with hygienist vacancies or unexpected callouts, on-demand dental office staffing may be advantageous. Toothio offers temporary and permanent dental staffing options that can help practices maintain coverage while they work toward a more sustainable long-term staffing plan. For added convenience, Toothio also offers access to the world’s first AI dental recruiter that can source candidates, screen applicants, and schedule interviews on your behalf.

Sign your practice up with Toothio and start filling shifts with ease.