Yes, we know: you thought your dentist closed on Fridays due to golf commitments. But no, Oregon is experiencing a severe shortage of dental support staff. During the pandemic, dental offices lost more staffers than other health practices (56 percent in Oregon—the national average was 53), and nearly 10 percent of dental assistant jobs are currently unfilled, according to the Oregon Health Authority. To help, the legislature passed HB 2979 last year, which puts $20 million toward training and incentive programs. 

The shortage will be top of the agenda April 4–6 at the Oregon Dental Conference, when thousands of “friends of dentistry” swarm the Oregon Convention Center to exercise their sweet tooths at the exhibit hall booths and party with a “12-piece horn-driven ’80s cover band.”

We hope that a drag queen calling herself the Tooth Fairy visits again, like she did last year. (Psst! It was Poison Waters in disguise.) Attendees will also fulfill their required 20 hours of annual continuing education with classes like “Level Up Your Extraction Game.” And, of course, they’ll swap jokes (tooth funny!).