Inflection Point: The impact of COVID-19 on the practice of dentistry
As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down retail stores, business offices, and schools, dental practices were no exception. Many dental offices throughout the country found themselves closed to their own patients for everything but emergency care. It was, and still is, a challenging time. In 2020, nearly 9 in 10 dentists1 experienced increased operating costs and reduced revenue due to the pandemic.
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But dental practices are working now to find their footing again, and they are poised not only to recover, but to do so stronger. Dental visits in early 2021 actually exceeded the number of pre-pandemic appointments, particularly because patients are swiftly booking up dental appointments to make up for lost time.
The pandemic has propelled dentistry into a new era of more advanced dental safety. To continue to thrive, practices must continue utilizing and promoting their enhanced safety procedures and also accommodate changing patient expectations around increased digital communications. Teledentistry has increased by 20 percent1, and technology between patients and dentists, from scheduling appointments online to offering education on overall oral health, is proving more popular than ever.
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Due to increased costs around PPE and other safety equipment, as well as the closure of offices for several months, much of 2020 was a challenging time for dental practices. Consider the Evolution of financial planning for dental practices.
Post-pandemic, dental offices can expect a renewed focus on oral health as a key component of overall well-being. Provide your patients with this handy Oral health quiz.