The dental industry continues to suffer negatively from the ongoing conflict in Iran, from increased prices to supply chain disruptions.
Barry Lyon, DDS, director of provider recruiting and onboarding at Dental Care Alliance, recently spoke with Becker’s about how the conflict is affecting dentistry.
Editor’s note: This Q&A is part of a weekly series featuring Dr. Lyon focused on topics in the dental industry and DSO field. The views expressed are those of Dr. Lyon and do not necessarily reflect those of Dental Care Alliance.
This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Dr. Barry Lyon:
The war with Iran is not over healthcare, but its impact on dentistry is tangible and measurable. Increased costs, fluoride availability, supply chain disruptions and consumer financial hesitancy all impact the practice of dentistry in one way or another.
Let’s start with the closing of the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil, when you can get it, has increased to over $100 a barrel, and creates a cascade of effects on just about everything. In particular, dental materials are heavily dependent on petrochemical resources and supplies. The costs of lab fees, composites and gloves, among many needed items, are rising. For DSOs already on thin margins, this news is bad.
Additionally, the supply chain is affected by the war. Particularly vulnerable are implants, digital equipment and specialized components. Widespread shortages haven’t occurred yet, but delays for these items are becoming more and more common.
From a public health perspective, the Iran war will have a direct, but delayed, impact. The conflict with Iran has disrupted the supply chain for fluorosilicic acid, causing a fluoride shortage at some U.S. water utilities. The city of Baltimore has already been forced to lower the level of fluoride in the water to 0.4 milligrams per liter, down from the recommended 0.7 milligrams per liter.
As shortages become more prevalent and prices continue to rise, consumer confidence in the economy has dwindled. The consumer sentiment index hit its lowest level in over 70 years, falling below levels seen during the Great Recession and the pandemic. Inflation is expected to increase to 4.8%, largely due to increased energy costs. There’s little doubt the pocketbook will direct which services patients consider essential and which they consider elective.
While some have said the war with Iran is a Trump-created distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein files, dentistry will continue to pay the price of this conflict for some time to come.
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