State Report Highlights Ongoing Dental Hygienist Workforce Shortage in Virginia
The ongoing staffing strains on Virginia’s dental offices continued last year, according to a new report released by the Virginia Department of Health Professions’ Healthcare Workforce Data Center and analyzed by the Virginia Dental Association.
The Healthcare Workforce Data Center, which evaluates trends in Virginia’s licensed healthcare workforce through annual detailed assessments of workforce supply and demand, finds the state has 6,515 dentists in the workforce compared to 5,372 dental hygienists, a ratio that can delay patient care.
Hygienists are preventative specialists in a dental office, and a dentist is permitted to supervise up to four hygienists.
The data aligns with federal Health Resources and Services Administration projections, which rank Virginia second to last among states in meeting the demand for hygienists at 66% adequacy.
Dental hygienists play an essential role in dental practices. For many general and pediatric dentists, the availability of hygienists is the key factor in their ability to see more patients.
Due to ongoing workforce challenges, the VDA is urging patients to schedule dental visits now because of potential wait times for preventative care.
“Many practices are short-staffed and booked out months in advance,” said Virginia Dental Association CEO Ryan Dunn. “For patients who haven’t yet scheduled their dental visit for 2026, we strongly encourage you to make your appointment now. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Complex accreditation requirements and comparatively high operating costs, cited in a 2025 state report from the Join Legislative Audit & Review Commission, contribute to a limited number of dental hygiene education programs in Virginia.
These programs are in demand, with seven students applying for each available seat in a Virginia dental hygiene education program. According to the Virginia Office of Education Economics, dental hygiene is an in-demand and growing career field, with a median salary of $98,880.
General Assembly takes action to increase patient access
Virginia’s newly adopted budget includes an additional $20 million to support the expansion of career and technical education programs in the Virginia Community College System, including dental hygiene. The budget also includes $1 million to establish a dedicated fund to support the expansion of dental hygiene education programs in Virginia. Among the first planned new programs is expected to be a joint partnership between the existing program at Germanna Community College and newly launched programs at Eastern Shore Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College. The programs, pending approval from accrediting bodies, intend to begin their first cohorts in January of 2027.
The budget also includes funding to continue the planning and construction of a new VCU School of Dentistry building in Richmond. The dental school – the only one in Virginia – provides more than 100,000 annual patient visits in facilities that were built in the 1950s and 1970s. The planned facilities will have the capacity for more than 500 dental and dental hygiene students and dental residents.
In April, Governor Abigail Spanberger signed into law two dental workforce bills supported by the Virginia Dental Association to help meet patient demand for preventive dental services while maintaining patient safety.
HB 970 and SB 178 allow dental assistants with a minimum of 1,800 hours of clinical experience to obtain training and a certification for limited dental scaling and polishing to support preventative care appointments for patients, under the direction and supervision of a licensed dentist. The legislation also allows dental assistants who have been educated to perform those services in the military to do so in a civilian setting.
Virginia lawmakers also passed HB 1036 and SB 282, permitting the Board of Dentistry to grant a dental hygiene license to internationally educated dentists who have passed Virginia’s licensure exam and met other requirements from the Board.
“Patient safety and access to essential dental care are our No. 1 priority throughout the process,” said Ryan Dunn, CEO of the Virginia Dental Association. “Expanding opportunities for Virginians to pursue rewarding careers in dental hygiene and allowing existing members of the dental team new opportunities for career growth and patient care will support more patient access and healthier communities.”
The VDA expects these measures to help address the shortage of dental hygienists, especially in rural and underserved areas.
The measures will take effect on July 1, after which the Board of Dentistry is expected to develop regulations for internationally educated dentists seeking hygiene licensure.
“We are grateful to Governor Spanberger and members of the General Assembly for taking meaningful steps to help improve access to preventive dental care in the Commonwealth,” added Dunn.
