My Journey Back to the Office

A Glimpse Into My First Month Back Dr. Michael Romenesko, Co-Founder, Independent Dental Solutions As Covid-19 began its path of destruction through the country over the last few months, we as dentists were faced with many unique obstacles. How we responded to what seemed like daily changes to our industry and how we utilized the available resources to navigate through the uncertainty, was crucial to maintain not only our sanity, but our long-term success as well. Now that I have […] Read More...

3 Things Dental Practices Can Do To Prepare For a Possible Second Wave of COVID-19

As states across the country have begun to ease restrictions and many businesses have reopened, many have experienced an increase in new COVID-19 cases.  Although other countries are reporting a decline in new cases, the US continues to set records for the number of new cases over the last few weeks. Due to this recent upward trend, it’s essential that businesses, including dental and health care providers, continue to keep safety and PPE inventory levels top of mind.  Below are […] Read More...

Midway Dental KN95 Masks Are Now EUA Approved

We are pleased to announce that Midway Dental’s KN95 masks are now EUA approved. Under the guidance of the FDA, the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is tasked with evaluating products that may be able to quickly and effectively address a need during a health emergency. All products submitted for EUA approval must provide a summary of the scientific evidence to support its safety and effectiveness. IDS recognized early on that its members needed additional guidance and support during the COVID-19 […] Read More...

ADA Supports Proposed PPE Tax Credit

On June 24th, the ADA announced their support of a new bill that would provide a tax credit of up to $25,000 for small businesses, including dental practices, to use towards the purchase of personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This would include items such as gloves, masks and/or respirators, eye protection, gowns, hand sanitizers, cleaning supplies and other equipment. ADA President Chad P. Gehani and Executive Director Kathleen T. O’Loughlin indicated this bill would provide much-needed […] Read More...

Keeping Your Patient Volumes & Finances Steady During Economic Decline

With businesses around the country closing daily, job loss is at an all-time high and employees are losing their benefits. As a result, across nearly all industries, we are seeing a decline in consumer spending, including for health and oral care services. Additionally, after several weeks, and in some cases, months of being closed, dental practices are looking for ways to mitigate fluctuations in their operations and revenue stream. With a backlog of individuals needing access to affordable care, dental […] Read More...

Double Trouble: Overcoming Patient’s Fears of Dental Care and COVID-19

5 Communication Strategies to Get Patients Back in Your Office  Let’s be honest, getting patients to their dentist’s office was challenging, even before COVIDV-19 concerns. In fact, many people are downright scared of the dentist and put off their routine visits. Over the last several months, nearly half of Americans have delayed health care services, including dental care, due to COVID-19 concerns.  In some cases, delaying care is more detrimental to their health than the virus itself. To overcome patient’s […] Read More...

The Latest ADA Poll Indicates Dental Practices Across the Country Have Begun to Rebound

Beginning in March, the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) launched a poll to enable them to better understand the impact COVID-19 has had on dental practices and their ability to resume patient care. Approximately 70,000 dentists from across the country were invited to participate and more than 19,000 chose to respond. Following the initial outreach, dentists were also invited to continue their participation by completing bi-weekly surveys to track their practice’s progress. According to their latest survey results, as of […] Read More...

Steps to Take When a Staff Test Positive for COVID-19

Given the proximity required to provide oral care, dentists and their staff are considered to be at a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure. It is essential that dental practices establish protocols to manage potential exposures ahead, both to minimize the risk as well as take the necessary actions if an exposure occurs. To help dentists prepare, the American Dental Association developed a guide that outlines what steps should be taken when members of a practice may have been exposed.  The […] Read More...

Protect Yourself from Virtual Threats During COVID-19

Scammers and cybercriminals are notorious opportunists. With more business being conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has presented many new ways for  them to strike. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security, World Health Organization (WHO), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) have all issued warnings about the increase of COVID-19-related cyber-attacks. As coronavirus news continues to evolve, there are many ways scammers can exploit the public’s fear in order to […] Read More...

Ready To Return To Work, But Your Staff Isn’t?

Tips to alleviate staff concerns during COVID-19 Independent Dental Solutions We often share resources and best practices on the financial and operational side of the dental industry, however, we would like to take a moment to address another, very critical side – the human side.  As businesses across the country are anxiously preparing to re-open, owners, including dentists, should be prepared to address staff concerns about returning to work. Over the last month, dental practices from around the country participated […] Read More...

U.S. Senate Approves Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act – What It Means For Your Practice

On Wednesday, June 3rd, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act to amend rules of the SBA’s PPP loans. Once signed into law, small businesses will have more flexibility and additional time to use funds. The bill includes severalchanges to the program including: Extending the timeframe to use funds to 24 weeks (before businesses had eight weeks) Decreasing the required amount of funds businesses needed to use on payroll to 60%, rather than 75% as well […] Read More...

Is Virtual Care Part of Your Re-Open Plan? Here’s Why It Should Be.

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How COVID-19 Has Impacted the PPE Supply Chain

By, Brian Heyndrickx, Co-Founder & CEO, Independent Dental Solutions In this article I will explain the impact COVID-19 has had on the availability of PPE for health care, particularly in the dental market, and how dentists will need to adapt, as we prepare to move forward into our “new normal”.  To a dentist or health care provider,PPE is as essential to your work as the training you received in dental school. Over the last several weeks, we have heard experts […] Read More...

Determining How Much PPE to Order

Just as consumers are struggling to find essential household items, such as toliet paper and cleaning supplies, dental practices are experiencing similar difficulties securing PPE. Additionally, it can be difficult to determine how much PPE to order. Our PPE estimator can help your practice calculate the amount of PPE you will need by taking into consideration your staffing and patient levels.   Read More...