As the United States’ population continues to age, and the demand for dental services continues to rise, dentists are falling into short supply. Dental offices and dental practices of all kinds are competing for the available dentists, leaving them (dentists) in a favorable position to negotiate terms of employment and choose the type of job schedules they want.

Times are a bit tough for dental practices and dentists. We are in an economy that still, in some way, feels and looks as if it’s suffering a recession. People are holding on to their money or savings and only spending it on key necessities. Notably for some, spending their hard-earned money on dental health has ceased to be a priority.  

After we launched in Houston, TX, we shortly discovered that a newly-opened dental practice decided to move away from the traditional dental staffing route and work exclusively with freelancers they found through Cloud Dentistry.

The dental industry has never been more demanding and burdensome than it is currently, and so much of this burden or weight falls on the shoulders of the dental practice owners. For instance, dental practices are in never-ending competition for patients, experience challenges in their schedules, and go through bouts of low productivity.

A dental office is only as successful as the owner, employees, and its practice management software or program. With software playing such a vital role in your practice’s success, picking the right software then is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In fact, this is something you should take time to reflect on, just as you would if you were purchasing a home. You must ask the right questions, check the advantages and disadvantages of all the software solutions available, and enlist the help of others.

Dental professionals have been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to filling staff vacancies for decades. As a dental practice owner, there’s sure to be a time when your dental auxiliary will want a couple of weeks off work for a much-deserved vacation or your dental assistant requests a few personal days to deal with an important family matter. 

Working as an RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist) has its positives and negatives. And while the positives are easy to take, it’s really how you deal with the negatives that will determine whether your career in the dental industry will be a success. The best way to deal with bad parts? Look on the funny side!

The ability to own a dental practice or to provide oral care as an independently practicing hygienist is making headway and becoming a reality in many states. Presently, 40 states have authorized direct access care, up from 28 states in 2008. That’s a good thing for hygienists who aspire to open their own practices. But wait; is going independent or opening a dental practice that easy?