Rules and regulations aren't the only things that have changed since the pandemic began.
Three voices from the dental industry weighed in to answer the question, "Have interactions with patients changed since the start of the pandemic?"
Editor's note: This piece was edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Lee Harris, DDS, Harris Dental Solutions (Los Angeles): Patients seem to be more deliberate when scheduling treatment post-pandemic. The primary factors appear to be:
1. Financial situation (waiting for tax refunds)
2. Inflation (increasing costs for rent, gas and groceries)
3. To a lesser extent now, fear from pandemic.
Bryan Shumaker, DDS, Private practice dentist (Colts Neck, N.J.): I think most patients have developed a true understanding of how difficult it has been practicing during these past two years. I think this has led to an increase in thankfulness by patients toward their practitioners and the care they have taken for granted all these years.
Steve Kuchuris, COO of Yellowstone Family Dental (Billings, Mont.): There's a continuum. If you'd ask me [this question] back in April of 2020, what people's reactions [about COVID-19] were going to be, they're way different than they are now. I would say right now, as of this week, only about 5 percent or less of our patients or prospective new patients come in with a mask. They very rarely use hand sanitizer anymore, even though we have it all over the lobby. Our front desk staff doesn't wear masks anymore. We only wear masks in the operatory like we used to do pre-pandemic. Now the interactions are completely back to normal.