The ADA survey also found that factors related to workforce retention included good work-life balance, positive workplace culture, and the ability to help patients on a daily basis. Conversely, factors associated with attrition included negative workplace culture, lack of growth opportunities, inadequate benefits and feeling overworked. Approximately half of both dental assistants and dental hygienists had received a pay raise in the previous year, in the 1% to 3% range. Most of these workers also receive dental benefits, paid holidays, paid vacation, and retirement savings. Among this group, health insurance, paid sick time, paid leave, and professional development were more rare. Oral health care team members said that these benefits matter when it comes to both recruitment and retention. Common Challenges Throughout Health Care Like the US, a significant number of Canadian dental assistants are also planning to retire in the next five years. “These trends are what we need to pay at tention to, because it speaks to the future of the dental workforce,” says Papadopoulos. “But dentistry isn’t alone in facing changing workforce conditions. There are shortages throughout health care. Burnout, stress, and depression levels are high among nurses and physicians and that is causing some people to exit these professions.” A recent survey of Canadian physicians revealed that 60% felt their mental health was worse than before the pandemic and 80% reported a lack of professional fulfillment. Half of physicians screened positive for depression. “There are problems throughout the entire health care sector that existed before the pandemic, but that have been made worse by it,” says Papadopoulos. “These challenges aren’t going away anytime soon and need to be addressed by governments.” Papadopoulos says that there are trends in the labour market at large that indicate that people value flexibility more than ever before. “Health care doesn’t of fer a lot of flexibility, or remote work opportunities, for that mat ter,” he says. Forty health care organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association, “In 2019, a survey of dental assistants in Canada had pretty similar findings,” says Papadopoulos. That survey found that 36% of dental practices in Canada had unfilled dental assisting positions and that 80% of dentists in Canada had a difficult or extremely difficult time filling open assisting positions. “Push and pull factors were also similar here in Canada,” says Papadopoulos. “Insufficient pay was a top reason for leaving a practice in Canada and so was a negative workplace environment.” Comparing the two surveys, it appeared that oral health care workers in the US are more likely to have benefits than those in Canada. “For dental assistants in particular, there are two different ways to think about retention,” says Papadopoulos. “There is retention at a particular dental office, but maybe more significant is retention in the dental field in general. People are making career changes and leaving the dental field altogether in search of work that offers more flexibility, better work-life balance, remote work, and opportunities for advancement that dental assisting may not offer them.” 36% of dental practices in Canada had unfilled dental assisting positions and 80% of dentists inCanadahadadifficult or extremely difficult time filling open assisting positions. 19 Issue 5 | 2023 | Issues and People
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTE5MTI=