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With one in five dental assistants leaving their roles within weeks, the sector is heading for a crisis unless key reforms are implemented, and soon. By John Burfitt
When Martin Thomas speaks about the state of Australia’s dental assistant workforce, he offers this blunt assessment. “We have such a shortage, and we are now at crunch time,” Thomas, CEO of the Dental Assistants Professional Association (DAPA), says. “This issue has been dragging along for a while, but it needs to be addressed because if it’s not, we’re in trouble.”
It’s a staffing issue that will come as no surprise to many practices. In fact, currently many dental assistants are leaving the profession at a rate that threatens the capacity of dentists to deliver essential care.
The recent ‘Dental Assisting – Workforce Shortage in Australia’ report by DAPA claims advertised vacancies consistently account for almost five per cent of the total DA workforce. With an estimated 26,700 dental assistants currently employed in Australia, the ongoing shortage of talent and issues with retention mean the dental workforce looks set to fall well short of the projected 27,500 assistants needed by 2028.
Furthermore, the report’s data identifies 20 per cent of new dental assistants leave within the first 45 days in the role. For a sector of dentistry already struggling to attract qualified workers, this high level of early-stage staff turnover is unsustainable and, in the longer term, dental care will suffer.
“We are constantly recruiting because we have to with the natural growth in the profession and the growth in demand with our national population but making that even more problematic with dental assistants is we are not retaining them,” Thomas says. “We often have to fill those roles over again as quickly as we have filled them, and we’re just not getting on top of this.”
A misunderstood role
One of the fundamental issues, Thomas believes, is a general misunderstanding of what a dental assistant actually does, with the title seeming to cover dental nurse, oral hygienist, sterilisation technician and the practice receptionist.
“The role of the dental assistant has never really been clarified and in some practices, that seems to add to the confusion,” Thomas says.
“Within our association, we define a dental assistant as the person who works with dentists and other dental professionals to provide support in the clinical, administrative and technical tasks, assisting with everything from patient preparation and instrument handling to sterilising equipment and maybe even with X-rays.
He states assistants are on hand to facilitate the best clinical outcomes and to help the dentist be the best they can be. “Basically, it is that person who can be relied on to support what goes on within a consultation and within the practice, which makes them a critical component of the dental system, and is further reason why the current status needs addressing.”
The retention cycle
One major issue is that pre-employment training of assistants is either limited or non-existent. The challenges identified in the DAPA report show that low wages, a high part-time share of job roles (55 per cent), and low TAFE completions are contributing to limited supply.
Compounding this is the mismatch created by jobseeker agencies and recruitment platforms, as well as a lack of adequate in-practice training for the vital operational role. Thomas points out that as the assistant role is poorly understood by non-dental recruiters and even some practice managers, applicants are often steered into the position simply because a vacancy exists.
We are constantly recruiting because we have to with the natural growth in the profession and the growth in demand with our national population but making that even more problematic with dental assistants is we are not retaining them.
Martin Thomas, CEO, DAPA
Thomas adds many have only a vague idea of what dentistry work entails and are later startled by the reality once in clinic. There is also the issue of pay.
“Assistants are very often paid less than shop assistants, so they might think, ‘I’ve got to put up with all of this in a surgery, when I could go to the local supermarket and make better money which involves far less stress’.”
Those mismatches fuel what he calls the “silent leaving” phenomenon—assistants who vanish from the profession as quickly as they enter it.
“This is the reason I believe 20 per cent of assistants head for the door within weeks of taking a job as they were put into the role too quickly, without enough training and with little idea of where they’re headed with it.”
The need for reform
Thomas is confident meaningful reform is possible, provided the sector acts decisively. The DAPA report outlines five key areas for reform, including implementing structured wage increases aligned with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) proposal, increased funding for skills training and further education, and the introduction of formal career pathways.
The current median fulltime weekly pay of $1250 is 18 per cent below the workforce median. The FWC July 2025 Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 proposed new classification levels for dental assistants for higher minimum rates, with increases of nine to 15 per cent.
Thomas also believes a national education benchmark is essential, so the dental assistant role offers a minimum standard of competency. He adds that registration and career structure are also vital so that the full scope of the work dental assistants do is better understood.
“We need bipartisan support across the sector, firstly to recognise these current issues, and then to be able to collaborate on how we are going to solve them, and that means we do need sector collaboration between agencies and sector associations,” he says.
“They understand the issue and the urgency surrounding it, but we also need the support of all practitioners to make the changes. I’m hoping our DAPA report is the catalyst for new discussion and for action in the areas where we can start.
Beyond policy reform, Thomas believes a cultural shift within practices could play a major role in getting the reform process started.
“I believe practitioners underestimate the value of a well-trained DA to their business,” he says. “Once this role is seen not on the expense line but on the revenue line, I think that would be a good first move to reframe everything.”
