SALARY

This might be an unpopular opinion but I believe salary will be reduced for associate dentists/hygienists as offices incur additional expenses to PPE & social distancing guidelines impact the volume of patients seen at a practice at any given time. 

However, I believe that we can offset this imbalance by treatment planning longer appointments which minimizes the number of visits in our offices.

I’ve already come into contact with hygienists requesting to see a lower volume of patients per day. I believe we should respect the requests of our team; however, there needs to be an honest conversation about how this may impact their salary moving forward. . .

INFECTION CONTROL

I believe there will be additional infection control mandates as the CDC further recognizes how to combat airborne contaminants like COVID-19. 

Currently, there are a variety of “air purifiers” & “air scrubbers” that utilize certain technology to reduce the bacterial/viral load in the air. 

Will this become standard? What’s the effectivity of these devices? I believe more information will come out in the following months.

PRICING

Dentists now incur more expenses than ever as we are obligated to provide expensive PPE to keep our team safe. 

Do we eat the expenses? Do we include PPE in our pricing to patients? This is a hard one to predict. I believe some combination of both will be done.

TEAM

With an expected reduction in patient volume, we should assume that some changes need to be made with our team dynamic. 

I believe that we may have to alternate days for team members or possibly cut hours so that we can keep our office productive. Ideally, I would hope that we can remain as productive as before but this is yet to be seen.

PERCEPTION

How will the public perceive dental offices. Will patients be more timid to enter a dental space. 

I believe the hardest obstacle to overcome will be to educate our communities about the safety of our dental offices. This can be done with public education on social media forums like YouTube, Instagram & Tik Tok.

PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS

In the foreseeable future I don’t imagine a world where we are giving our patients’ hugs or shaking hands. 

As of now, we are expected to wear masks and shields that cover our facial expressions & reduce the formalities that make our community of patients feel happy while receiving treatment. 

How do we connect with people now? 

Once again, video communication through social media platforms will be more important than ever to represent who you are & what you do.

INSURANCE

Another challenging prediction. . . The United States has an alarming number of unemployed citizens. People are losing their insurance benefits every single day. 

How do they plan on paying for essential dental treatment. Will payment plans become more of a standard in dentistry or not. What do you guys think?

CORPORATE DENTISTRY

 I believe this pandemic helps large corporate dental offices as they have the ability to combat expenses more effectively then a private office. 

These companies understand profit/loss & private practice owners need to understand the business of dentistry more than ever.

THREE DENTAL BUSINESS BOOKS I 100% RECOMMEND

It's hard to believe that it only took a couple of  weeks for the entire landscape of dentistry to change substantially. Dental offices across the Unites States are closed as federal & local government try their best to "flatten the curve", a term that I've heard one too many times. . .

I can only imagine what the future holds for dental protocols such as infection control & patient management. . . .

Until then, let's try to break down the most relevant components of the CARES Act. 

SBA LOANS FOR DENTISTS

SMALL BUSINESS DEBT RELIEF PROGRAM

This program will provide immediate relief to small businesses with non-disaster SBA loans, in particular 7(a), 504, and microloans. Under it, SBA will cover all loan payments on these SBA loans, including principal, interest, and fees, for six months. This relief will also be available to new borrowers who take out loans within six months of the President signing the bill into law.

Borrowers may separately apply for and take out a PPP loan, but debt relief under this program will not apply to a PPP loan.

A 7(a) loan is an affordable loan product of up to $5 million for borrowers who lack credit elsewhere and need access to versatile financing, providing short-term or long-term working capital and to purchase an existing business, refinance current business debt, or purchase furniture, fixtures and supplies. Typically, this loan will be used when building out a dental office. 

We will keep you updates as news about this program continues to be updated. . . 

RETIREMENT ACCOUNT WITHDRAWALS 

Retirement Account Withdrawals for Dentists

This allows for a withdrawal of money from retirement funds of up to $100,000 without paying a tax penalty if individual, spouse, or dependent is diagnosed with COVID-19 or experience adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, laid off, or having to work reduced hours due to pandemic 

DENTAL STUDENT LOAN DEFERRAL

(CARES) TAX BENEFITS FOR DENTISTS 

That's it! 

I hope this information helps you choose a practice location for your future dental office. I write this amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic & I hope this global economic uncertainty does not deter you from making your dreams a reality. Stay safe & be well.

Full disclosure: I receive a commission if you purchase the dental products through my referral links. This helps me run this blog & I appreciate the support. 

THREE DENTAL BUSINESS BOOKS I 100% RECOMMEND

Can I Practice Dentistry During the Coronavirus Pandemic? 

MARCH 20, 2020

It is starting to become mandated across the United States that dental offices remain closed to all but emergency care. Some states have mandated that dentist only see emergency patients while other states are currently operating under a “strong recommendation”. 

The ADA has since come out with a guideline detailing what is considered to be a dental emergency vs routine care. I have included an attachment that goes over these guidelines in the description below. 

Some examples of non - urgent dental procedures include examination, dental cleanings, routine orthodontic treatment & more. . . Take the time to download the resource I’ve attached below.

If you are seeing emergency patients there are some precautions that the California Dental Association has recommended. 

Some of these recommendations include patient screening protocols, having the patient rinse w/ 1% hydrogen peroxide, using a rubber dam, using high speed suction and much more. 

I should also mention that there is a shortage of N95 masks which is the recommended mask for airborne diseases, such as TB. The CDA currently recommends you also use a additional face shield for splatter protection.

I actually used this at the beginning of this week and you are able to use your loupes underneath the face shield. 

Currently, I am unaware of any mandates regarding the type of mask you need to treat emergencies; if anyone knows any updates please comment below

Dental Student Loans During the Coronavirus 

Small Business Administration Loans & Taxes for Dentists 

MARCH 20, 2020

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low interest capital loans of up to $2 million that can help practice owners with fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills.

Additionally, The IRS has delayed federal tax payments to July 15. Call your accountant if you want to discuss this further 

Earlier this morning I watched an awesome webinar from the CDA about how to handle employee payroll and benefits. This video addresses the concerns of many practice owners across the US and is attached below. 

I’m going to keep you guys updated over the next couple weeks as things develop. 

On a personal note, I’ve noticed a lot of online public shaming amongst dental professionals. I think its important that we try to unite as closely as we can in order to get through this trying times. Lets lift each other up as we move forward. 

I hope everyone stays safe and healthy 

Helpful Dental Resources 

That's it! 

I hope this information helps guide your decisions amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic & I hope this global economic uncertainty does not deter you from making your dreams a reality. Stay safe & be well..