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 the first week of June, 90 percent of dental practices are now providing elective care. This encouraging statistic, along with other data collected, seems to indicate the dental industry is headed towards recovery.

The most recent survey asked practices about the status of their practice, including patient volumes, staffing and PPE inventory. The survey found that: 

• Most practices were reporting patient volumes at 50 percent capacity or higher
• More than 75 percent of reported they had returned to paying staff their normal wages
• Over half indicated having 14 days (or more) of inventory for PPE items such as masks, face shields and gowns  
• Of the practices who were still closed, approximately 70 percent plan to resume elective services by the end of the month

There are still many dental practices that are unsure of their reopen plan and timeline and are considering options ranging from reopening with a different practice model, to selling or retiring altogether. If you need additional support and guidance during this time, we are here to help. Our team can work with you to develop a comprehensive, personalized recovery plan that takes into consideration the needs of your practice. 

View the full report here and for additional information on how IDS can help your practice recover, visit independent-ds.com/covid-19-recovery-plan/.

Leave a Reply