ADA.org: Future of Dentistry Full Report

FUTURE OFDENTISTRY

Table 6.9 also indicates a 5.7% growth in accredit-

ed dental assisting programs during the 11-year peri-

od. There has been a 42.9% decline in the number of

dental technician programs during the same period.

It is unclear whether allied dental education pro-

grams are enrolling students to the level of program

capacity. In 1998-99, it appears that dental hygiene

enrolled 6,087 first year students against a first-year

capacity of 6,471. For dental assisting, the equiva-

lent figures were 6,162 (enrollment) against 8,270

(capacity). In the case of dental laboratory techni-

cians, 487 first-year students enrolled against a capac-

ity of 1,026 student spaces. In the case of dental assis-

tant and dental technician students, it is not clear

whether these numbers allow for any further first-year

attrition in student numbers. Thus by mid- or end-of-

year, first-year enrollments could be lower.

Table 6.10 indicates an appreciable growth in the

number of dental hygienists trained. Overall, the num-

ber of dental hygienist graduates increased from

3,904 in 1989/90 to 5,281 in 1998/99, an increase of

35.3%. Interestingly, the 5,281 graduates in 1998/99

compare to an initial enrollment of 5,868, and a

capacity of 5,990 two years earlier. If dental hygiene

education enrollment continues to increase, and appli-

cation numbers do not drop, it may be expected that

the number of dental hygiene program graduates will

continue to increase in the short to medium term.

Table 6.10 also indicates that the number of grad-

uates from accredited dental assisting programs

increased from 1989/90 to 1996/97, thereafter

trending downward once again. It is clear from

ADA Survey data that attrition in dental assisting

programs is moderately high. Assuming a one-year

training program, the 4,720 dental assistant gradu-

ates in 1998/99 resulted from an enrollment of

6,350 and a capacity of 8,220 a year earlier. With

respect to dental laboratory technicians, the number

graduating from accredited programs has declined

markedly. In 1998/99 a total of 490 dental techni-

cians graduated, from an enrollment pool of 702

and a capacity of 960. Enrollment data suggest that

further decreases in the dental technician graduation

numbers may be expected in the near term.

For both dental assistant and dental technician

careers, formal post-high school education is not a

barrier to entry. Thus, there may exist significant

numbers of non-accredited training programs.

More importantly, it is virtually certain that an

unknown capacity for on-the-job training is a major

Dental Education

Number of Accredited Allied Dental Education Programs, 1990-2001

Source: ADA, Surveys of Allied Dental Education.

TABLE 6.9

Dental Hygiene Dental Assisting

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

202

204

209

208

214

215

223

230

237

250

256

255

244

242

228

231

231

230

237

240

250

251

257

258

49

47

43

41

38

35

35

35

34

33

30

28

495

493

460

480

483

480

495

505

521

534

543

541

Year Dental Laboratory Total

Technician