Crest and Oral-B have granted the American Dental Association $250,000 to support new dentists and their teams amid the pandemic, according to a May 15 release by the ADA.
The grant will help the ADA create and implement programs aimed at addressing the challenges new dentists and their teams face. While COVID-19 has greatly affected all dentists, many new dentists owe large student debts. New practice owners often lack resources that more established dentists may have accumulated over the years. Associates or employee dentists may not be receiving an income or be able to influence compensation for their teams.
During the pandemic, new dentists were less likely to receive full pay (9.3 percent) than established dentists (13.5 percent); and were more likely to have their Small Business Administration Payment Protection Program loan denied (18.9 percent) than established dentists (14.3 percent), according to an ADA Health Policy Institute poll in late April.
The grant is part of a larger effort by Crest and Oral-B parent company Procter & Gamble to support the dental community during the COVID-19 era.