If it feels like you’re waiting longer to get in for a dental check-up these days, you’re not imagining it. There is a very real shortage of dental assistants in the United States, and it is affecting how quickly some practices can schedule appointments for their patients. a news release stated.
According to the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute’s Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry for the Third Quarter of 2025 report, more than one-third of dental practices have had to recruit dental assistants in the last three months; 40% of practices surveyed said it was “extremely challenging” and 42.7% have had open positions for more than three months.
The San Diego County Dental Society is leading the charge to address the staffing crisis by launching an innovative program aimed at training new dental assistants through its Academy of Learning, according to the news release. The organization is offering low- and no-cost training and certification with an eye toward attracting individuals who have been previously unable to enter the field because of financial barriers.
One of the 10 participants in the pilot program is Phennapha Rozelle of Carmel Valley. “I worked in the restaurant industry for 10 years. This is my new chapter in the dental field and I’m excited for my future,” Rozelle said at a recent X-Ray certification class.
“It is important to us not only to be an active part of the regional workforce development, but to diversify the field and ensure that people from all economic walks of life have opportunities to be part of the rewarding field of dentistry,” said Angela Landsberg, executive director of the San Diego County Dental Society, in the news release.
The 15-week course includes radiation safety certification, coronal polishing, pit and fissure sealant training, and infection control. Dr. Joanne Young is the overseeing dentist of the program. The training program is funded by the San Diego County Dental Society with support from the California Dental Association and San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson.
The pilot program began in August 2025 at the San Diego Dental Society Academy of Learning in Golden Hill, and will graduate its first cohort of 10 students on Dec. 13, 2025.
“The program has shown promising results and our graduates will be ready to excel in dental offices in the new year,” said Young in the news release. “There’s strong interest across the state in seeing how this program performs, and we look forward to sharing our outcomes, best practices, and lessons learned so it can serve as a model for other dental societies to replicate.”
The Academy is actively seeking applicants for its February cohort of 20 students with a high school diploma or GED.
For more information visit SDCSDacademy.org