TL;DR Ontario dental clinics are struggling to find enough dental assistants, and government labour data rates job prospects as “Good.” Staffing shortages are already affecting clinic capacity, and employers often move fast with offers. Pay trends have been rising due to retention pressure and demand. Long-term drivers—expanded access to care (including the Canadian Dental Care Plan), population growth and aging, clinic expansion, and limited graduate supply—suggest demand will stay strong for the next 5–10 years across both major cities and smaller communities in Ontario.
Ontario dental clinics need more dental assistants than they can find. That’s not speculation. It’s reflected in government labour data, industry reporting, and hiring activity across the province. Job prospects for dental assisting in Ontario are rated “Good” by government labour data, the second-highest rating on a five-point scale. Dental industry organizations report staffing shortages that are already affecting clinic operations. Hiring managers across Ontario describe a market where qualified candidates often receive multiple offers within days of starting their search.
For anyone considering a healthcare career, these signals point in one direction: dental assisting is one of the strongest entry points available right now.
Ontario is experiencing a real staffing squeeze
Dental assistants are essential to daily clinic operations.
They support dentists during procedures, prepare treatment rooms, manage infection control, assist with radiography where qualified, and help keep patient flow moving efficiently. When clinics cannot staff these roles, they are forced to reduce capacity, slow appointment schedules, or delay care.
That pressure is being felt across Ontario. Both provincial and national dental organizations have publicly raised concerns about workforce shortages, noting that staffing constraints are already affecting how efficiently clinics can operate.
In practical terms, many dental offices report continuous hiring, not primarily because of turnover, but because patient volume continues to grow faster than staffing capacity.
For graduates entering the field, this means stepping into a job market that already needs them.
Compensation trends reflect hiring and retention pressure
Rather than focusing on a specific hourly rate, the more meaningful story is the direction compensation has been moving.
Across the profession, dental offices report recent pay increases driven by retention pressure. Ontario wage guidance for dental assistants has been adjusted upward in recent years, reflecting inflation and market demand. National survey data shows earnings increase steadily with experience, and higher-paying regions tend to be those facing stronger hiring demand. Government wage data, updated using recent labour-market periods, aligns with this broader upward trend.
The takeaway is simple: clinics are competing harder to attract and keep qualified dental assistants, and compensation is one of the primary tools they are using.
Demand is growing, not slowing down
Several long-term factors are driving sustained demand across Ontario.
Expanded access to dental care. Public dental programs are increasing access to the dental system. Millions of Canadians are now eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, and Ontario represents a significant share of that population. More patients mean more appointments, which increases workload across dental teams and raises the need for trained assistants. Industry organizations have warned that meeting this demand will require additional dental assistants in the coming years.
Population growth and aging. Ontario’s population continues to grow, and an aging population typically requires more frequent and more complex dental care. As appointment volume and treatment complexity increase, so does the need for skilled dental assistants to support clinical delivery.
Clinic expansion. Many practices respond to sustained demand by expanding hours, adding operatories, or opening additional locations. Dental assistants are often among the first hires required when a clinic scales its operations.
Limited dental assistant training supply. Compared to demand, the number of new dental assisting graduates entering the workforce each year remains relatively limited. This imbalance contributes to ongoing hiring pressure and helps explain why employers consistently report difficulty filling open roles.
What the next five to ten years look like
Federal labour projections indicate that dental assisting will continue to grow faster than the average occupation, with thousands of job openings expected nationally over the next decade.
A meaningful share of these openings is projected to come from new job creation, not just replacement hiring.
Job Bank’s sustained “Good” rating for Ontario reinforces confidence in both short- and medium-term demand across the province.
Opportunities across Ontario
Demand for dental assistants is not confined to one city.
Hiring activity is concentrated in large urban regions such as the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga, Hamilton, and Ottawa, but smaller cities and communities across Ontario also report persistent shortages.
This province-wide demand gives graduates flexibility. You can choose where you want to live and work without being limited by job availability.
A practical, stable, and in-demand healthcare career
Dental assisting offers a combination that appeals to many students and career switchers: shorter training compared to many regulated healthcare careers, strong and consistent hiring demand across Ontario, compensation trends moving upward due to retention pressure, and a hands-on role that is essential to patient care and clinic flow.
For those who want a clear, reliable entry point into healthcare, dental assisting stands out as a practical and respected option.
Your next step
The clinics posting job listings today need assistants they cannot find. The dental assistant training programs accepting students today are preparing graduates for a market that is ready to hire them.
If you’ve been weighing your options, the data is clear. Dental assisting offers real demand, improving compensation trends, and a direct path into healthcare work without years of prerequisite courses or uncertain job prospects on the other side.
Are you ready to start working towards a new career in dental care?
Request free information about our Dental Assisting Program today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is dental assisting one of Ontario’s most in-demand healthcare careers right now?
A: Because Ontario dental clinics need more dental assistants than they can find, and job prospects for dental assisting in Ontario are rated “Good” in government labour data.
Q: What do dental assistants do in daily clinic operations?
A: They support dentists during procedures, prepare treatment rooms, manage infection control, assist with radiography where qualified, and help keep patient flow moving efficiently.
Q: Are employers hiring dental assistants mainly because of turnover?
A: No. Many dental offices report continuous hiring not primarily because of turnover, but because patient volume continues to grow faster than staffing capacity.
Q: What’s happening with compensation for dental assistants in Ontario?
A: Dental offices report recent pay increases driven by retention pressure, and Ontario wage guidance for dental assistants has been adjusted upward in recent years, reflecting inflation and market demand.
Q: What factors are driving sustained demand for dental assistants across Ontario?
A: Expanded access to dental care (including eligibility for the Canadian Dental Care Plan), population growth and aging, clinic expansion, and limited training supply.
Q: What does the outlook look like over the next five to ten years?
A: Federal labour projections indicate dental assisting will continue to grow faster than the average occupation, with thousands of job openings expected nationally over the next decade, and Job Bank’s sustained “Good” rating for Ontario supports confidence in demand.
