Over the past few years, dental practices have struggled with a shortage of dental hygienists. A recent survey from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute showed that more than 80% of dental professionals find it “extremely challenging” to recruit hygienists. At Mortenson Dental Partners (MDP), we like a good challenge! One way we’ve worked to overcome the hygienist shortage is by supporting our very own team members who are interested in attending hygiene school.
Through the Hygiene Student Support Program (HSSP), MDP team members enrolled in an accredited dental hygiene program can apply to receive up to $30,000 toward tuition and education-related fees. The team member is not required to pay the funds back as long as they agree to stay on as a hygienist with MDP after they graduate. While only MDP team members can apply for HSSP assistance, job seekers who are considering a future in hygiene can join the MDP team now and be eligible for the program as soon as they have six months of tenure. So far, 13 team members have taken advantage of the program.
The HSSP program helps MDP bring hygienists onto the team while supporting those who want to expand their careers but may be unable to afford their education. New MDP hygienists will have the opportunity to work in either a traditional or assisted hygiene model and benefit from mentoring and continuing education opportunities at no cost, among other perks.
Interested in joining the Mortenson Dental Partners team? You can view opportunities here.
