Solstice Provider Blog

As a dentist, you’re used to adapting to the needs of your patients and their expectations. But COVID-19 is bringing an extra set of challenges for you and your staff as you continue to meet your patients’ needs effectively. As we adjust to this new reality, here are three challenges dental offices are facing during COVID-19 and some advice on how to approach them!

High-tech innovations are constantly changing the way you do business. To be successful in your practice, it’s important that you make continuous improvements in the services you provide to your patients, including upgrades to technology in your business.  

It’s the foundation of the advice you provide to dental patients: floss regularly. Floss for healthier gums, plaque removal, and fresher breath. Only four of 10 Americans floss once a day or more, and 20 percent say they NEVER do.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) defines special health care needs as “any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs. National Center for Health Statistics claims that one in five persons within every age, race, gender, and sexuality report having a limitation that substantially impact their daily activities. Oral health is a pillar of a person’s overall well-being, but many people with disabilities struggle to find a dental office that is accessible to them.

The obstacles those with disabilities have in obtaining accessible dental care include: transportation or parking issues; inaccessible exam equipment; narrow or small offices; absence of a support person; denial of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters; inaccessible paperwork; confusion about medical instructions; trauma triggers; and negative attitudes and ignorance about disability.

What do we mean by accessibility?

The ADA guidelines state that medical and dental practices must offer “full and equal access to their health care services and facilities.” This includes physical access, communication access, and both mental and emotional access.

As a dentist, you’re always keeping your ear to the ground for the latest industry news and trends. A popular topic lately is dentists who don’t recommend participating in dental insurance networks - meaning they wouldn’t accept Dental HMO (DHMO) or in-network Dental PPO (DPPO) benefits. The mindset for not participating in these networks has gained traction in the dental community with the recent increase in holistic dentistry practices. Per the Holistic Dental Association’s (HDA) website, around 30% of their registered dentists who disclosed don’t accept dental insurance[1]. Whether you are a holistic dentist or not, this statistic shows that some dentists feel disconnected from traditional insurance provider networks. So, what exactly is the value of being a part of an insurance network? Here are a few of the benefits, and why you should be a part of a dental insurance network.

You can have state-of-the-art equipment, a beautiful office and waiting room, and the best professional staff, but if patients aren't coming back, you've got a real problem! Barring a personnel problem (e.g., an impolite receptionist), the problem might very well reside in your practice's patient recall rate. How important is your patient recall rate to the success of your dental practice?

Does your dental office still use amalgam fillings? There’s a new federal rule governing amalgam disposal that went into effect on July 14, 2017, with an expected compliance date of July 14, 2020. Is your dental office in compliance?   

It’s hard to keep up with all the different ways to contact patients and how you should use each method to communicate with them.