We have the resources to affect change in the conversation among students and counselors about a career that involves dental medicine.
Last year, the Pennsylvania Dental Journal explored the topic of“ inspiring the next generations to enter dental careers,”( September / October 2024). My article was one of several pieces presenting some of the issues and challenges we face. At that time, I was the Ninth District Trustee. Somehow, I am now PDA’ s president-elect! Over the course of this past year, one of the most talked about issues facing the members of our organization continues to be a lack of dental auxiliaries to fill open positions across the state.
We have all heard the reasons: COVID, the Great Resignation, competition from other industries, among others. And, while all of those reasons are certainly contributory, my thoughts continue to lean toward the fact that the option of working in the dental field is not properly addressed or promoted at the educational levels. If traditional four-year college is not the answer for many students, what careers are highlighted for students to focus on? And why can’ t dentistry be one of those options?
The explosion of technology and wide access to information has greatly influenced the opportunities in career choice. Literally, any career path can be explored with a touch of a screen or click of a mouse. With more options, there are many industries, associations, employers and careers that are in the same arena – all striving to get younger people to consider their field of work. When a high school student simply“ Googles” careers, that student is bombarded with advertising from across the employment spectrum. Trade unions, travel and service industries, work from home opportunities, and many, many others. It is no wonder why people aren’ t choosing our profession.
In addition to these myriads of choices, there is another issue that we are on the precipice of crossing. The Pennsylvania Coalition of Oral Health( PCOH) recently produced a report, the“ Access to Oral Health Workforce Report,” stating that in 2026, there is a predicted“ enrollment cliff” that Pennsylvania is about to experience. As explained to me by PCOH executive director Helen Hawkey, the number of high school graduates will decline over the next several years. This will be especially prevalent in the rural areas of Pennsylvania. So not only will the number of students enrolling in college drop, so will the pool of available employees. According to the report, there is already a 14.7 % decrease in the number of dental assistants across the state.
There are many ways for any industry to promote their professions and career paths to get the attention of middle and high school students. I have chosen to work with their guidance counselors. These professionals are crucial to many aspects of the educational journey that students take. By speaking with these educational professionals, my hope is to have the option of a dental career included in the conversation between a guidance counselor and a student who is looking for what lies beyond 12th grade.
We have the resources to affect change in the conversation among students and counselors about a career that involves dental medicine.
Dental front office positions, as well as assisting positions, do not require attendance at a college or university. If a student has no desire to pursue more schooling, these career paths are excellent job opportunities. I am not breaking new ground here; we all know this. But we, as a profession, need to remind the student population of this important fact.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 13