By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Did the Dental Industry Change due to COVID-19
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Dental health > How Did the Dental Industry Change due to COVID-19
Covid-19Dental health

How Did the Dental Industry Change due to COVID-19

John Henning
John Henning
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Contents
  • Dental Industry at Crossroads
  • Increasing Costs
  • Dental Service Utilization Trends
  • Patient Affordability
  • The Increasing Trend of Teledentistry
  • Changing Trends – Expecting a Positive Change

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed our lives! While this global pandemic has affected virtually every field of life, the healthcare and dental industry is also bearing the brunt, with an increased number of dental practices either shutting down permanently, thinking about an exit strategy, or finding alternative sources of income.

Managing a dental practice – even before the COVID-19 pandemic – was a challenging and demanding task. Dentists not only needed to be at the top of their clinical skills, but they also had to be excellent managers and businessmen to generate profit. And then came COVID-19, adding more challenges to the already struggling dental industry.

Like other businesses, the dental industry is also expected to change considerably, keeping in view the widespread global financial and lifestyle changes brought about by this pandemic.

More Read

dental x-rays
Are Traditional or Digital X-rays Best for Dental Exams?
Pandemic Pounds: How to Keep Weight Gain at Bay During the Coronavirus
What’s The Difference Between Sleep And Sedation Dentistry?
Dentigerous Cysts – What Are the Risks and How to Tackle Them?
Rising to the challenge: Digital rehab during COVID-19

Dental Industry at Crossroads

The utilization of dental services has undoubtedly taken a hit. During these testing times, when people are afraid of leaving their homes, visiting the dentist’s office for checkups and routine dental treatments has become a lesser priority.

According to the FAIR healthcare survey, dental services’ utilization decreased by 79% in April 2020, compared to the same month in the previous year. Even when many US states had lifted the lockdowns and travel bans by May 2020, the utilization still declined compared to May 2019. Furthermore, while more than half of the dental practices throughout the US had already opened by early August 2020, 54% of them complained of having low patient numbers.

Increasing Costs

Even in the pre-COVID-19 era, dentists often struggled to minimize treatment costs and mitigate factors such as the increasing cost of dental restorative materials and utility bills. Unfortunately, this pandemic has added another financial burden – the additional cost of the personal protective equipment (PPEs) to minimize the chances of COVID-19 transmittance. To ensure their team’s safety as their patients, dentists now have to buy disposable PPEs that have added to the overall cost of dental treatment – ultimately increasing the rates of various dental procedures. While some dental practices are still discovering avenues to cut their costs, most dental practices have no other option but to raise their charges.

Dental Service Utilization Trends

The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected what type of dental services are utilized by the patients. Previously, a dental checkup was one of the most common reasons patients visited their dentist’s office. However, this trend has changed now. Patients nowadays prefer to visit their dentist only in dental emergencies or only when they are having a specific dental problem like teeth cavities or gum inflammation that require urgent treatment. This suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients predominantly leave their houses to see the dentist only in situations that require emergency dental care, more specifically emergency tooth extraction, wisdom teeth removal and root canal treatment.

Patient Affordability

As an increasing number of individuals have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many among them have to spend from their pockets in case they need dental treatment – as they don’t have dental insurance coverage anymore. This is another reason why the patient volume at dental practices has decreased pos,t-COVID-19, and patients tend to visit only when they absolutely have to.

The Increasing Trend of Teledentistry

To prevent their practices from permanent closure, dentists are now trying to find unique avenues to provide dental care – and for revenue generation. As a result, many dental practices now offer routine dental checkups through teledentistry. Dentists can now monitor the overall oral health of their patients – and give necessary instructions – through video or telephonic communication, without the need for visiting physically. In this way, dentists treat most of the dental problems through an online appointment, and only those patients are asked to physically visit the office who need an appointment with an emergency dentist.

Changing Trends – Expecting a Positive Change

But the trends are changing now. As of mid-November 2020, the American Dental Association did a survey that showed that about 86% of the respondents were ready to go back to the dentist’s office for treatment, where 31% of them have already been actively seeking dental treatment. Interestingly, 10% of the respondents were still unsure and were waiting for a medical breakthrough to resume their dental visits. Similarly, as of December 14th, the volume of patients in the dental office was at 78% of the pre-COVID-19 levels.

These trends at the end of the year 2020 indicate that despite challenges, the dental industry will continue to regain strength, and we can expect even further improvement in the industry in the year 2020. So, dentists should not lose hope and hope for the best in the coming months.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By John Henning
John Henning is a nutritionist, freelance writer, and food blogger that provides accessible nutrition info to help people live a healthier life. His unique approach to nutrition emphasizes nutrient-dense, whole foods and healthy habits rather than restrictive diets.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental healthSpecialties

What is Cosmetic Dentistry and Why You Should Go For it

December 23, 2020
oral health or dental health
Dental healthSpecialtiesUncategorized

7 Ways to Use Technology for Better Oral Health

May 11, 2021
importance of oral health
Dental healthSpecialties

Understanding the Link Between Oral and Overall Health

May 1, 2025
bleeding gums
Dental healthSpecialties

9 Methods to Stop Bleeding Gums

December 29, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?