Oral Health is thrilled to introduce the first look at our Data Driven Dentistry series for 2025. After surveying dentists themselves over the past few years, we decided to return to surveying Canadian dental patients, which we have only ever done once before back in 2019. Our goal with the collected data is to start a … Read more
Tips for avoiding burnout in dentistry There are many reasons why most dentists agree their career leaves them feeling burned out, from daunting administrative tasks to dealing with difficult staff members. We explored some ways to handle burnout, such as by delegating tasks, finding your passion, and connecting with your community. Who should be in … Read more
We are witnessing more and more CE courses becoming available online, despite the pandemic restrictions lessoning, and dentists seem to be torn on their preference between attending in-person or online courses. Nearly half of survey respondents preferred the choice of online courses for the convenience and ability to learn about new topics from anywhere. However, … Read more
Attracting New Staff to Your Practice Acquiring new staff has been a challenge this year but there have been a few options available for practice owners. Hiring a newer graduate may require more work in the onboarding and training process but allows you to mold and mentor the employee. Dental temp services have also greatly … Read more
Last year’s survey provided some interesting statistics regarding retirement among Canadian dentists. One-third of dentists shared that the pandemic had hastened their decision to retire from the field. With more dentists retiring and many leaving the field for other reasons, this certainly presents an opportunity for young dentists who are just graduating and entering the … Read more
In this month’s Data Driven Dentistry feature, we decided to take a look at your purchasing plans. While many dentists took a financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, over half of our reader respondents still had plans to purchase new equipment this year. This is great to see. Operatory equipment was the most popular option … Read more
The transition of using more digital platforms to communicate has been happening for years and the pandemic only increased the need for it. Nearly half of surveyed dentists agreed that they have changed the way they’ve been communicating with patients in the last couple of years. Of those dentists, half of them are using text … Read more
More than half of dentists agree their practices have been less profitable in the last few years – but don’t lose hope! If your business is suffering due to the increased costs and lower patient traffic, put those thinking caps on and come up with a plan to get that profitability back up to par. … Read more
At this point it is a well-known fact that the dental industry is going through a very stressful phase. Staff shortages, increased costs, increased safety measures – these all impact the stress levels of practice owners and team members alike. In fact, the amount of stress being felt is leading to even more staffing issues … Read more
Not only have practices been struggling to attract new staff, but many practice owners are having trouble retaining current staff as well. In fact, 35 percent reported they had staff members voluntarily leave their practice last year. Most dentists took to the obvious solution of increasing wages to keep staff happy, and that is a … Read more
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, now is the time to bring back those patients who have avoided their dental appointments due to the pandemic. In fact, 86 percent of dentists that saw a decrease in their active patients over the last couple of years credit the pandemic. As we discussed last month, one of the most … Read more
Please join us in discussing the results of Oral Health’s annual Data Driven Dentistry survey with some of Canada’s leading experts in dentistry. We polled practising dentists across the country to ask for their thoughts on current dental challenges, maintaining profitability, practice building, staffing issues and much more. Now it’s time to dig a little … Read more
Provinces across the country are slowly beginning to reduce the protocols and restrictions that were put in place as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is important to stay diligent when practicing safety protocols in your dental office. 79 percent of dentists shared with us that they have found managing staff stress a … Read more
While over a third of dental practices have seen no change to their staffing, there are many dentists that are struggling to hire new team members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over ½ of dentists have begun offering higher wages to attract new staff, while many dentists have yet to take any action. If you find … Read more
The Biggest Impact of COVID-19 on Dentistry According to our survey results, the largest impact of the pandemic on dental practices in Canada has been the drop in revenue. However, it has been proven that dentistry is an essential service and practices have been able to remain open throughout the rest of the pandemic despite … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has given the dental industry an opportunity to discuss many topics, including the importance of mental health. During the Data Driven Dentistry survey last year, 21 percent of dentists responded that the one positive thing they could take away from their pandemic experience was spending more time with family and living life … Read more
When lockdowns were first announced, the first question many dentists and business owners had was, “How will I pay the rent?” Unlike staff wages, your place of business could not be furloughed. Rent was due regardless of whether your business was open or closed. Long term lease agreements were still valid and legal. Some could … Read more
As we observe more vaccinations being completed and reopenings happening across the country, we can see the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is on the horizon. Now is the time to reflect on what the biggest takeaways have been from this life-altering, not to mention business-altering, experience. Earlier in the year, we discussed the opportunities … Read more
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half of dentists implemented teledentistry into their practice. Teledentistry benefitted the dental industry by providing an excellent way to provide care, such as diagnoses, education and treatment planning, to patients while following social distancing guidelines. According to our 2020 survey results, 75 percent of dentists found their … Read more
While the telephone remains the most popular way for dental offices to communicate with patients, there is no denying that, as the result of many digital developments, the number of platforms to reach patients has grown. With so many options available – from email and texting to Facebook and Zoom – it’s difficult to decide … Read more