Are Dental Technician Salaries Causing Recruitment Issues For Dental Labs?

Today’s dental lab industry is experiencing serious difficulties in attracting new and qualified recruits, partly due to the low salaries offered. This alarming issue presents a major hindrance for companies that want to ensure they are hiring quality dental technicians, as well as preventing them from competing with larger labs.

This not only results in fewer workers on staff, but also impacts customer service levels and overall efficiency within the lab itself. Read on to learn more about this problem, how to help combat it, and what actions your laboratory can take right now to ensure any recruitment issues you may run into remain manageable..

Low salaries in dental labs and how it affects recruitment 
Dental labs are facing a growing issue with attracting and retaining skilled workers partly due to low salaries on offer.

With the demand for quality dental services increasing, finding well-trained and experienced dental technicians is essential. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract top talent partly due to the salaries being offered in the field.

Low salaries are preventing some dental labs from hiring the best candidates, which can negatively impact the quality and reliability of services that labs provide, as well as effecting company growth. As a result, dental labs must address this issue by offering higher salaries and better incentives to attract and retain top talent in the dental technology industry.

Dental lab technicians value and why they need to be paid more 
Dental lab technicians play a critical role in the dental industry, yet they are often overlooked by the wider dental team when it comes to remuneration.

According to Talent.com, the average market value for dental lab technicians in the United States is approximately $41,000 per year, which is significantly lower than other positions in the healthcare field. It's important that dental lab technicians are paid more for their talents and hard work, after all, they are responsible for creating bespoke appliances vital to the dental health of patients, and in turn, are an essential part of the dental team.

The attention to detail and precision that dental technicians provide is crucial in ensuring that patients are happy with their dental work, and without their expertise, dental practices could not function.

By increasing their remuneration, we can not only show our appreciation for the part that technicians play within the dental team but also attract more skilled professionals to the field. It's time for the dental industry to recognise the importance of dental lab technicians and compensate them accordingly.

Demand for high wages
Dental labs have always played a crucial role in the dental industry as they construct prosthetics and other dental appliances for practitioners. However, dental labs are facing a significant issue in recent times due to their inability to fill the required job positions. The demand for higher wages in the industry has led to an increased struggle for dental labs to find qualified ceramists, prosthetics, ortho and CAD/CAM technicians.

It's a constant challenge to balance high-quality work with cost-effective pricing for the labs. In addition, the shortage of qualified technicians has led to an increased workload for lab employees and lab owners, which can sometimes lead to longer wait times for dental offices and patients. Dental labs must adapt and find new ways to attract and retain talented individuals to keep up with the growing demand and produce the quality of products that their clients expect.

Attracting top talent
Dental labs, just like any other industry, face the challenge of attracting top talent despite their low salaries. However, with a little creativity and innovation, they can still get the job done. One potential solution is to offer flexible work hours, providing employees with ample opportunities to balance work and personal life.

Dental labs can think outside the box and come up with other incentives, such as training or development programs, employee recognition rewards, or even paid time off. These perks can help create a culture of engagement and motivate employees to stay committed to the company.

Dental labs can also explore the possibility of offering remote options, which would not only be convenient for employees but would also open up the talent pool beyond a geographical location. Granted, this would be more suitable for the CAD design team, but not impossible to coordinate in other departments.

By prioritising employee satisfaction and well-being, dental labs can attract and retain top talent despite the challenges they face.

Potential solutions for increasing pay without bankrupting the business

Paying employees a liveable wage can often be a struggle for businesses. Raising prices is one way to pay staff better salaries while still staying profitable. Here are some tips on how to do just that:

New technology: Investing in new technology can streamline processes and increase efficiency, which could result in cost savings that could be used towards pay increases.

Calculate fair price increases: The first step to raising prices is making sure that your increased pricing is fair and reasonable — you don’t want clinicians feeling ripped off or like they’re getting less for their money than before. Do some market research and calculate how much of an increase would be necessary in order to cover salary increases and remain competitive in the marketplace.

Adjust accordingly: Once you’ve identified how much of an increase is needed, start making adjustments — prices can usually be adjusted bit by bit over time rather than all at once in order to make the transition easier for your clients (and yourself!).

Evaluate product mix: Another consideration when increasing prices is which products/services will have higher prices and which will stay the same — bear in mind that some items may be more difficult to raise prices on due to competition, while others may have more room for an increase without alienating existing customers or potential new ones.

Communicate with customers: As with any major changes made within your business, communication is key — let your customers know why you’re making these adjustments and what value they’re getting out of them (e.g., paying your technicians fairly or offering better quality products etc). This will help create transparency about the decisions being made, leading to customer trust in your business!

Offer discounts or promotions: Offering discounts or promotions from time to time can help draw in new customers despite higher pricing overall. Additionally, consider adding value-added services such as loyalty programs, this way clinicians get more bang for their buck without taking too big of a financial hit up front.

Raising prices doesn't have to mean sacrificing loyal customers — if done properly, it can lead to increased profits as well as improved morale among employees who are now being paid a better salary!

Conclusion
Ultimately, it’s clear that dental labs will have to find ways to meet the market demand for higher wages to successfully recruit top talent. Increasing pay would also be beneficial to the business by keeping them ahead of the competition and ensuring that their services remain loyal and your staff turnover remains low!

Creative strategies such as flexible work hours, remote opportunities, and business expansion can all help make a difference. And while discovering a solution is not easy and can take time, it is possible. Therefore, steps must be taken if dental lab owners want to maintain their presence in the industry and secure their standing for years to come.

If you’re looking for staff for your dental lab, then you may want to consider visiting Recruit4Technicians.com – an online platform dedicated to helping you find the ideal technician for your team. With our specialist job board, vast network and dental technician resumes at your disposal, you can begin finding top-notch talent, and soon enough you'll experience first-hand how increased wages can turn into increased productivity in no time!

Blog post by Andy Foster