The start of a new year is a great time for practice owners to pause and take stock. It’s a chance to reset schedules, review goals, and look at KPIs from the previous year to determine what changes can be made to ensure the year ahead is better than the last.

When it comes to staffing, many practices default to “we’re managing.” But managing isn’t the same as being properly staffed. Once you’ve reviewed your KPIs and identified where the practice may be falling short, staffing is often one of the areas that deserves a closer look.

What does “Properly Staffed” Really Means

A properly staffed dental practice isn’t just open and seeing patients – its sustainable. It’s a team that can take time off, handle growth, and deliver consistent and high-quality patient care without running on fumes. Some practices may think they’re properly staffed, but the second an employee falls ill or needs to take time away, the schedule and the team suffers.

Sometimes the issue isn’t about how many employees you have on the roster, but about future growth. Practices should be continuously evolving, patient volume increasing and roles expanding without needing to be redefined. If desk staff are often juggling too many responsibilities, managers stretched thin, even a seemingly well-built system will easily break under pressure.

A Quick New Year Self-Check

As you head into the year, ask yourself:

• Are team members frequently staying late or skipping breaks?
• Is the doctor stepping in to cover front desk or admin gaps?
• Have “temporary” workarounds become permanent?
• Does one person hold too much responsibility or knowledge?
• Have you delayed time off because coverage feels impossible?

If more than one of these sounds familiar, it’s worth looking at your existing roster to see where you might be able to add more staff.

The Hidden Cost of Being Understaffed

Understaffing doesn’t always show up on a profit and loss statement, but it shows up everywhere else in the form of burnout, employees becoming disengaged leading to increased errors, inconsistent patient experiences, and eventual turnover. Waiting too long to address it often makes hiring harder, not easier. Trying to rush to fill a gap in the schedule can be counter-productive, causing you to hire in haste and end up in the same situation only months down the line.

Hiring With Intention This Year

The new year is an opportunity to move from reactive hiring to intentional planning. That starts with clarity – understanding what your practice actually needs now, not just what worked years ago. Hiring proactively protects your team, your patients, and your own energy as a practice owner.

Needing to hire doesn’t mean something is broken. More often, it means your practice is changing. And if you’re unsure whether it’s time to hire, that uncertainty alone is worth a closer look!

For practices still in that “passive” phase—where hiring feels like something to think about later instead of now—it helps to clarify your goals and expectations before you ever post a job or review a resume. Check out our blog Navigating the Passive Hiring Phase for additional resources on understanding how to move from vague needs to clear intent so your next hire truly adds value to your team and your bottom line.