Building a Dental Practice Requires Hygienists

A New Facility Is Only as Valuable as the Employees Who Work There

As winter comes to end, so too does construction… [click to enlarge]

As construction of Machias Dental’s new facility moves into its final stages, personnel issues are coming to the forefront. Since an associate dentist will be joining the practice at its new location, it will be essential to have enough team members to adequately support both dentists.

In the meantime, one of Dr. Sparaga’s hygienists had to resign to take over hospice care for her mother, so the practice has incorporated assisted hygiene into the mix for the moment. And it’s working pretty well: with a seasoned assistant, one RDH is producing close to what two RDHs used to produce per day.

Sometimes the workers are happy.	Sometimes they are not enthused.

The Sparagas are currently advertising for two hygienists. The supply of hygienists seems to be more than adequate, as they have received multiple calls from their national search ads on the internet from candidates saying no one’s hiring. But the practice location in rural Maine has proved quite a challenge.

“We’ve learned that a well-paying job, a new facility, and a dynamic working environment is not enough to attract most young people,” sighed Dr. Sparaga. “They want lifestyle first. Since this lifestyle is not as glittery and vibrant as in more urban and affluent areas, it will take the exceptional individual to fill our needs.”

The doctor is also unwilling to settle for less than the best. “We’ve had a few hygienists try it for a few months who could not meet our minimum performance standards, so we asked them to move on. We know what’s possible, and we won’t settle for mediocre job skills.”

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