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BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A national shortage of dental hygienists has caused up to 10-month long waits for appointments at a local dental office.
Southern Smiles Family & Cosmetic Dentistry has several hygienist roles open and no applicants. Office Manager Kristy Hixson said these locations have been open since June of this year.
“I’ve been in this field doing this since 2006. This has been the one and only time we’ve had this problem with not being able to recruit,” Hixson said.
As a result, patients across the region wait upwards of 9 or 10 months for care, regardless of their dental needs. The recommended time between dental appointments is six months.
Hixson said this is not a new issue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the hygienists they employed left the field entirely due to safety concerns. However, experts say this is not the only factor causing the shortage.
“I think they’re there, but they’re not limited to staying where they go to school,” said Lisa Wiese, director of Blinn College’s dental hygiene program.
According to Wiese, applications to the program — which is located in Bryan — are up 20 percent. The local shortage, she said, is partly caused by a lack of incentive to stay in the area.
“When we have a young graduate who doesn’t have ties to the area, and they want to go experience something other than Bryan/College Station. They go to Austin, Dallas, Houston. They go somewhere else,” she said.
As a result, local offices are doing everything they can to compete with larger cities.
“We’ve been able to make those changes, I think, on our end to make them a little more attractive. We have to do our part and so I think we have done that. We offer great benefits and I think the pay is fantastic,” Hixson said.
Blinn College holds semi-monthly information sessions about its dental hygiene program.
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