Some dental supplies are in higher demand amid the recent novel coronavirus outbreak, prompting shortage concerns, according to ABC affiliate WTVG.
"Even nonmedical people are asking for masks and buying them wherever they can," Toledo, Ohio-based dentist Craig Burrow, DDS, told WTVG.
"When the coronavirus first started, I bought cases of masks knowing there might be a shortage of masks in this area," Lawrence Schmakel, DDS, another Toledo-based dentist, told the publication.
Both dentists buy from Henry Schein and Patterson Dental. Due to the outbreak, the two suppliers recently put restrictions on purchase amounts for dental practices nationwide.
Dr. Schmakel can only purchase about a three-day supply of masks at a time. Dr. Burrow said he is more concerned about the limit on gloves, but ultimately thinks his practice will be fine despite the shortage.
As of Feb. 26, the CDC has confirmed 60 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Global health organizations are working together to anticipate and address potential shortages, Henry Schein officials told WTVG.