Provinces across the country are slowly beginning to reduce the protocols and restrictions that were put in place as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is important to stay diligent when practicing safety protocols in your dental office. 79 percent of dentists shared with us that they have found managing staff stress a challenge over the last couple of years; however, many dentists agree that ensuring safety protocols are being followed has helped to reduce staff stress. The reason many dental team members have left the dental field has been due to feeling unsafe while working so closely with patients during a pandemic. Providing sufficient safety protocols is one of the ways practice owners can manage this issue.
While 58 percent of dentists say buying more supplies has been their largest cost increase in recent years, the addition of more PPE and air filtration has helped provide comfort for patients and staff alike. In fact, only 28 percent of dentists reported having their patient base decrease while the rest reported their patient base either stayed the same or increased since 2019. The prioritization of buying additional supplies to combat the COVID-19 virus has been worth the costs for many practices.
A different mindset must be adapted when it comes to managing a dental practice during the pandemic. Let us know how you have had to adapt during the pandemic and what strategies have worked for you! And continue to focus on providing the safest environment possible for your staff and patients to find the greatest success for your business.
As seen in the print issue of Oral Health March 2022
*In October and November 2021, Bramm Research, a third-party independent research house, conducted an online survey of active, practicing non-hospital affiliated dentists and dental specialists on behalf of Oral Health. Using Oral Health’s subscription list, a total of 264 completed surveys were tabulated. With a total sample of 264, the margin of error is plus or minus 6.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. If, for example, 50% of the sample indicated that agreed with a statement, then we can be reasonably sure (19 times out of 20) of an accuracy within +/- 6.0%. This means that a total census would reveal an answer of not less than 44.0% and not more than 56.0%.
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