Korean Dental Associations Seek Solutions for Dental Hygienist Shortage

Korea: The Korean Dental Association (KDA) and the Korean Dental Hygienists Association (KDHA) convened on June 21 to tackle the issue of a shortage of dental hygienists and explore avenues for their reemployment. The associations sought to address this challenge by activating initiatives aimed at increasing employment opportunities for unemployed dental hygienists.

Reemploying Dental Hygienists 

Currently, there are approximately 88,000 licensed dental hygienists in Korea, but the actual number of professionals working in medical institutions is reported to be around 44,000.

The KDA and KDHA’s active commitment to promoting the reemployment of dental hygienists is being viewed as a positive development. However, as the above statistics indicate, despite the efforts to reemploy professionals, it seems challenging to alleviate the shortage of personnel in dental clinics, considering that only half of the licensed individuals are currently practicing. According to the two companies, this is mainly due to structural issues rather than just the current phenomenon.

Structured Employment System

Participants at the meeting agreed that it is necessary to establish a structured employment system between dental clinics and dental hygienists, as well as provide reemployment education through the operation of a “Dental Hygienist Employment (Education) Center.” 

KDA and KDHA both anticipate a decrease in the number of dental hygienists and students due to the declining population, and they expect that the operation of dental hygienist employment centers will be effective. Other topics discussed during the meeting included encouraging dental hygienist students to apply for internships through the official KDA job site, long-term employment plans for dental hygienists, and improving the system for a smooth supply of dental workforce.

Low Job Satisfaction 

The background behind this situation is that dental hygienists reportedly have lower job satisfaction than expected, while the intensity of their work can be as challenging as in the 3D industry. Another major complaint dental hygienists have pointed out are “internal conflicts within the workplace”. Although it is a difficult task, finding a solution to this issue seems to be the path towards alleviating the shortage of dental hygienists.

Experts suggest evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the current system and education process for obtaining a dental hygienist license, and emphasize the need for more training and post-management of dental hygienists.