The coronavirus has had many effects on the dental industry, even though it has been a little more than four months since the beginning of our nationwide quarantine. At Smile Reston Heights, we always keep up with the latest news to determine how soon we can begin regularly serving our patients again.
We also stay up-to-date with the latest federal guidelines and regulations to ensure our quality dental practice will be prepared for when you and our many patients throughout Reston, VA return. Below, we discuss a few ways that COVID-19 has affected the dental industry and community, including us:
Deferral, Not Loss
A significant effect of COVID-19 has been the overall decline in revenue from following federal guidelines and health regulations in response to the pandemic.
In particular, dentists have been limiting their patients to only those who require emergency treatment. However, this doesn’t mean that there is any loss of revenue, but rather a deferment of revenue.
Unlike other businesses, such as restaurants or taxi drivers which lose revenue when there are no customers to serve, quality dental practices are always needed by their patients, as the effects of COVID-19 don’t eliminate the need for a root canal or a tooth extraction.
Seeking Good Staff
Another impact of the pandemic is the laying-off of numerous staff members, a necessity for reducing costs in order to sustain practices until the quarantine ends and normal business can resume.
An issue that many dental practitioners anticipate upon reopening their businesses again is a surge of patients in need of all kinds of dental services. Therefore, dentists are worried over whether they’ll have enough staff members available to adequately respond to this surge.
But we trust that, since there will be numerous returning patients, there will also be many highly-experienced individuals ready and willing to join our expert dental team.
Investment in New Technologies
As businesses reopen, Smile Reston Heights and practitioners around the country aim to do so as well. This requires that we prepare extensively to both serve many patients as well as prevent further infection.
Part of this preparation will involve purchasing and utilizing new pieces of equipment, such as extraoral evacuation units. These are used to capture the aerosols that are often produced during various dental procedures. These aerosols potentially carry both bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19.
Using these during our treatments will help reduce the risk of spreading illnesses and ensure the safety of our patients and staff.
Smile Reston Heights: Reliable Dental Practice in Reston, VA
The impacts that the pandemic has had on us can be considered both negative and positive in several ways. Many practices have had to reduce or lay off their entire staff, yet they are also preparing to return them to work as soon as it is safer. Dental practices are also investing in new technologies that will maintain a higher level of sanitation and lower the risk of overall illness within the workplace.
Smile Reston Heights is your family-friendly dental practice who’s working as hard as possible to return to full operation so we can serve our wonderful patients in Reston and throughout Northern Virginia. Our services in general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry are second to none, along with our affordability. We’ve provided numerous patients with excellent payment options to ensure they can always receive the care they need.
Contact us at (703) 386-7872 to learn more about your services and to schedule your next visit today!