Good News, Bad News?


First the good news. It's probably safer than ever to see the dentist, since if we are following the CDC guidelines and  wear a faceshield , N95 Masks, practice appropriate ambient air management, and follow  screening procedures,  it is extremely unlikely for anyone to become infected with the COVID 19 virus at the dental office.

Many of our patients seem relieved to see us when they visit our office and are pleased with the steps we have taken to protect them. They also commonly request that we get as much done as possible, because "after all, who knows what things will be like next month?". It is a little bit like going to the supermarket and finding toilet paper or some other hard to come by commodity,They feel the urge to do as much as possible.  It is scarcity psychology at work.

Most of our patients have been happy to finally get their cleaning and check up. If something needs fixing, they seem more eager to deal with it. If I ask whether we should wait for an insurance pre-certification, most comment, I need it anyway. so lets do it.

Of course some do ask if it can wait until the fall and usually I respond with of course ( If its true). Some patients who need complicated treatment whom are elderly are actually better off postponing treatment, since the risk of traveling back and forth in order to complete their treatment is greater than the risk of delaying treatment.

Another nice development, is that after each successive week back,  my staff and I are more comfortable and are adjusting to our new routines. I also believe that  Better PPE will  become more readily available, as time goes on.

Now for the Bad news. Our patient volume is down, probably at least 50%. For now our practice is "treading water" working to keep from going under. Thankfully we have taken a PPP loan that will help fund our salaries for the next several months and all that we need to worry about is covering our rent and other practice bills. I believe that patient bookings will gradually improve as time goes by, if we do not experience another local spike in new virus cases. Let's keep our masks on and our fingers crossed!



from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2020/06/good-news-bad-news.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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