The pandemic has changed how people interact, but it doesn't take away the connections dentists can still have with their patients.
Here's what one dentist had to say about patient interactions during the pandemic:
Brandon James, DMD. Dentist at Mortenson Family Dental (Louisville, Ky.): I would say patient interactions changed immensely throughout most of the pandemic. The way I introduced myself was very different. I had a mask on constantly and was unable to shake hands or really greet or interact with a patient in any nonverbal way, which is a huge part of who I am as a dentist. As things with the pandemic have improved, I am still in a mask but feel I can lower my mask to show a patient my face and a warm smile. I'm even beginning to shake hands or do fist bumps again. While safety remains our top priority, the slow return of nonverbal communication is comforting to both the patients and myself. Nonverbal communication is such a huge aspect of trust-building in dentistry, so I'm excited that we are getting to a point where that feels safe and normal again.