By: Allen Vean, DMD
MDDS Co-Editor

Eight years ago, as I transitioned from a private pediatric practice and “graduated” to the rest of my life, I did have a plan. As a state clinical dental director of Special Olympics, I was involved with an exceptional organization that gives intellectually disabled adults and children the chance to compete in a myriad of sports. The Healthy Athletes program is the dental component known as Healthy Smiles, where volunteers perform dental screenings for the athletes prior to and during athletic events. At that time, I was also involved in the Evans Scholarship program as a director. The program sends deserving caddies to college with tuition and housing fully paid during their four years of education.

As I finished playing a round of golf at the Common Ground Golf Course, I noticed that the Concorde Career Institute was located directly across the street. As you may or may not know, Concorde has a dental hygiene program now going into its twenty-first year. I decided to introduce myself to the program director to see if some of the students could become involved with Special Olympics, as their experience with this type of patient population is likely non-existent. After an excellent conversation with the program director, I was also asked to submit my resume. After a couple of weeks, the program director asked if I would be interested in being a substitute supervising dentist in the clinic. My teaching experience was in the pediatric dental residency program at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an off-site location for various dental assisting programs in the metro area.

I accepted the offer and was contacted on a limited basis for the first year. As of today, I am still classified as a substitute, but my clinical involvement has gradually increased, on average, to one to two half days per week. This teaching experience has been one of immense payback to our profession. The diversity of the student body is astonishing. Students from dental assistants to PhDs in molecular biophysics have made my time in the clinic quite rewarding. My focus has been on challenging the students to think critically. Let me assure you that both the clinical and academic curricula are thorough upon graduation, and the pass rate for boards has been excellent.

However, as much clinical experience is completed during their education, it is not nearly enough. As they enter the “real world,” your mentorship cannot be overemphasized. COVID-19 decimated the hygiene profession. The hardships that came upon dentistry were enormous. According to the Colorado Dental Board, as of May 2024, there were 3,600 practicing dentists and, as of May 2025, there are 572 practicing hygienists. The state is expected to see a 37% rise in hygiene positions, leading to the need to recruit approximately 450 new hygienists each year. Even with the opening of three new hygiene programs and the expansion of two existing programs, the shortage will continue in the near future. The inclusion of Colorado in the hygiene compact, allowing hygienists to be licensed in a less complicated format, will certainly be helpful.

In my conversations with hygiene graduates, the top topic is the work environment. That is the number one factor that leads to changing practices. Like all other professions, dentistry has an extreme supply and demand issue, and pay is reflective of that. Salary is not the number one reason employees leave a position. What does a prospective hygienist look for in employment? As with all other employees, they wish to be valued, treated with respect and kindness, know that their opinion matters and not be micromanaged. Good leaders are in the background and let their team members do their jobs. Hygiene education is centered on oral health, not just scaling and root planeing. Allowing them to care for their patients and establish those relationships will help grow your practice. Instead of dictating how much time a patient is allowed, why not ask, “How much time do you need?” To ask a new graduate to maintain a schedule that an experienced hygienist is accustomed to is unfair and will only lead to a negative outcome for both the dentist and hygienist. As I mentioned above, your mentorship and experience are desperately needed and will be appreciated. Have a plan for the new graduate that will benefit both the hygienist and the practice. Hopefully, the relationship will be long-lasting.

As an update, Concorde will be moving to a new location at the end of the year. The plan is to increase the class size significantly, and I am sure more faculty will be needed. Please feel free to contact me at avean@concorde.edu if you are interested. As always, thank you for being part of organized dentistry. So many challenges are ahead.