Tariffs could cause additional financial challenges as operating costs rise and fewer patients visit practices.
Barry Lyon, DDS, the dental director for Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics and the chief clinical auditor for Dental Care Alliance, connected with Becker’s to discuss the negative impact of tariffs.
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 Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics or Dental Care Alliance.
This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Dr. Barry Lyon:
Today, the entire dental industry is balancing on the head of a pin, and a light breeze can easily tip it in the wrong direction. It’s surprising there is not more anxiety running through dentists, DSOs and the supportive industries.
The biggest shadow hanging over dentistry are the looming tariffs filled with unknowns and uncertainties, and which will result in higher costs for the entire industry. The costs of operating an individual dental office will increase, the costs for DSOs to support their practices will increase and the costs for dental supplies and equipment will increase. The tenuous balance on margins has rarely been shakier. Unless the industry is willing to eat the inflated costs, the prices of goods and services will also increase, underscoring the inflationary nature of tariffs.
The Trump administration has said the tariff-induced cost increases will affect foreign exporters, not American consumers. However, consumer prices for services posted the biggest increase in six months in July, suggesting inflation is being fed by pressure from tariffs.While the demand for dental services has remained steady, the fallout and trickle down from the tariffs may keep consumers away from dentists’ chairs. The latest opinion poll from the Pew Research Center states 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s tariff policies. For these Americans, America is not being made great again.
