Global News recently reported on the dental assistant shortage happening across Canada, which could impact the number of patients dentists are able to see.
Lynn Tomkins, president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), has spoken about the issue, pointing out that the shortage was happening even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the introduction of the Canadian Dental Benefit, more patients may be seeking dental care, which could cause a backlog if dental offices do not have proper staffing.
“The shortage of dental assisting is the number one issue for dentists across the country,” she said. “So dentists have had to alter their hours, in some cases reduce their hours because they don’t have the support staff, just like operating rooms and hospitals. They don’t have the nurses, you can’t do the treatment.”
