The dental staffing crisis isn’t just a temporary hiccup: it’s reshaping how smart practice owners think about building resilient, flexible teams that can weather any storm.
The numbers don’t lie, and they’re pretty sobering. 62% of dentists identify hiring challenges as their number one concern heading into 2025. If you’re running a dental practice right now, you’ve probably felt this pressure firsthand. Maybe you’ve had to turn away patients because you’re short staffed, or perhaps you’re watching your current team burn out from covering extra shifts. You’re def initely not alone.
But here’s the thing: while traditional hiring methods are failing practices left and right, there’s a solu tion that’s been quietly revolutionizing how dental practices handle staffing challenges. It’s called locum tenens, and if you haven’t considered it yet, you might be missing out on the most effective way to keep your practice running smoothly.
Why Is Everyone Struggling to Find Dental Staff?
Let’s start with what’s actually happening in the dental job market. The current staffing shortage isn’t just about a few people changing careers: it’s a perfect storm that’s been building for years.
Dr. Sarah Chen, a practice management consultant with over 15 years of experience, puts it bluntly: “We’re facing the most challenging hiring environment I’ve ever seen in dentistry. It’s not getting bet ter anytime soon, and practices that don’t adapt their staffing strategies are going to struggle.”
The data backs this up in a big way. One-third of dental assistants (34%) and dental hygienists (31%) are planning to retire within the next five years. That’s not a gradual transition: that’s an avalanche of experience walking out the door.
The pandemic made things worse, with dental hygienists still sitting 5% below pre-COVID supply levels. Meanwhile, dental assistant graduation numbers have been on a downward trend since 2011, with particularly steep drops during economic uncertainty.
“The traditional model of posting a job ad and waiting for applications just doesn’t work anymore,” explains Maria Rodriguez, HR Director at a multi-location dental group in Texas. “We’ve had hygienist positions open for eight months with zero qualified candidates. Zero.”
When it comes to recruiting dental hygienists, 90% of dentists report it’s either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ challenging. For dental assistants, that number is 70%: still pretty rough odds if you’re try ing to build a stable team.
What Exactly Is a Locum Dentist, and How Can Locum Tenens Help?
If you’re scratching your head wondering “what is a locum dentist,” you’re probably not alone. Locum tenens: which literally means “to hold the place” in Latin: refers to temporary healthcare professionals who fill in when permanent staff aren’t available.
In the dental world, locum tenens for dentists works exactly like it sounds: experienced, licensed dental professionals who can step into your practice for days, weeks, or even months to keep opera tions running smoothly. This includes not just dentists, but dental hygienists, assistants, and adminis trative staff too.
Think of it as having a bench of professional players ready to jump into the game whenever you need them. Unlike traditional temp agencies that might send you someone with basic qualifications, a quality dental locum tenens service provides fully credentialed professionals who understand the complexities of dental practice operations.
“Locum tenens saved our practice last summer,” shares Dr. Michael Thompson, who runs a busy fami ly dental practice in Ohio. “Our lead hygienist had a family emergency and needed three months off. Instead of scrambling to find a permanent replacement or burning out our remaining staff, we brought in a locum hygienist who hit the ground running from day one.”
What Are the Real Benefits of Using Locum Tenens in Your Practice?
The benefits go way beyond just filling an empty chair. When you partner with the right dental staffing agency that specializes in locum tenens, you’re getting strategic flexibility that can transform how your practice operates.
Immediate Coverage Without Long-Term Commitment: When someone calls in sick or gives their two weeks’ notice, you don’t have to panic or overwork your existing team. A locums tenens dentist or hygienist can typically be in your practice within 24-48 hours.
Try Before You Buy: One of the smartest ways practices are using locum tenens is as an extended in terview process. “We’ve hired three permanent staff members who started as locums,” explains Dr. Jennifer Park, who owns two dental practices in California. “It’s the best way to see if someone truly fits your practice culture before making a long-term commitment.”
Seasonal Flexibility: Many practices see patient volume fluctuations throughout the year. Rather than keeping full-time staff during slow periods or scrambling during busy seasons, locum tenens lets you scale up and down as needed.
Specialized Skills When You Need Them: Sometimes you need someone with specific expertise for a short-term project or to cover a specialist who’s unavailable. Locum tenens gives you access to a broader talent pool than you’d typically have in your local area.
Reduced Burnout: When your permanent staff knows they have backup available, it reduces stress and prevents the burnout that leads to more turnover. It’s a virtuous cycle that actually helps you re tain your core team.
How Is RSMC Services Different from Other Dental Staffing Agencies?
Here’s where most dental staffing agencies get it wrong: they treat placement like a transaction. Send a body, collect a fee, move on to the next one. At RSMC Services, we see ourselves as your strategic staffing partner, not just another vendor.
We get that every dental practice has its own personality, patient base, and operational style. That’s why our approach starts with understanding your practice inside and out. What’s your patient demo graphic? What software do you use? How do you prefer to handle scheduling and patient flow? What kind of personality fits your team dynamic?
“Working with RSMC feels like having an extension of our HR department,” says Dr. Amanda Foster, who’s been using our services for over two years. “They don’t just send us resumes: they send us peo ple who actually get our practice culture and can contribute from day one.”
Our locum tenens for dentists program includes comprehensive vetting that goes beyond just checking licenses and certifications. We evaluate clinical skills, cultural fit, communication style, and reliability. Plus, we maintain relationships with our locum professionals over time, so we know their strengths, preferences, and track record.
But here’s what really sets us apart: we’re invested in your long-term success, not just filling immedi ate gaps. If a locum placement isn’t working out, we’ll find a replacement quickly at no additional cost. If you decide you want to hire one of our locums permanently, we make that transition smooth and straightforward.
“The best part about RSMC is that they actually listen,” explains Dr. Robert Kim, whose practice has used our services for both emergency coverage and planned time off. “When I explain what I need, they deliver exactly that: not some generic solution that works for everyone else.”
Is Your Practice Ready to Build a More Resilient Staffing Strate gy?
Look, we know change can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’re already stressed about staffing. But the dental practices that are thriving right now aren’t the ones with the most resources: they’re the ones that adapted their staffing strategies to match today’s reality.
The old model of hiring permanent staff and hoping they stick around for years just isn’t realistic any more. The most successful practices are building hybrid teams that combine solid permanent staff with strategic use of locum tenens to create flexibility and resilience.
“I wish I’d discovered locum tenens years ago,” reflects Dr. Lisa Martinez, who recently expanded to a second location using primarily locum staff during the startup phase. “It would have saved me so much stress and probably prevented some of the burnout issues we had with our permanent team.”
The question isn’t whether you’ll eventually need to adapt your staffing approach: it’s whether you’ll do it proactively or wait until you’re in crisis mode.
If you’re ready to explore how dental locum tenens could work for your practice, or if you just want to understand your options better, we’re here to help. At RSMC Services, we believe the best staffing
solutions are built on relationships, understanding, and a genuine commitment to your practice’s suc cess.
Ready to build a more resilient staffing strategy? Let’s talk about how locum tenens could transform your practice’s approach to staffing challenges. Because your patients deserve consistent, quality care: and your team deserves the support they need to deliver it.