If you currently work in dentistry, you are most likely aware of the hurdles that practitioners face on a day-to-day basis. However, our annual survey revealed some positive data! It showed that 93% of dentists still believe that dentistry has given them a great career and personal satisfaction, despite the stress and costs. While many … 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
With so much of a recent focus on digital marketing, it’s important to remember how vital word-of-mouth marketing is for your dental practice. Of course, all of the marketing advice shared through Oral Health’s blog and Oral Health Office is extremely valuable for conducting marketing efforts for your practice, but, according to our survey last … 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
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
Oral Health is excited to share the results of our annual Data Driven Dentistry survey! After the success of last year’s survey, which focused predominantly on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dental industry, we have collected data from Canadian dentists with a focus on how dentists are continuing to find success in … 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
The office manual (or HR manual) is an extremely important practice management tool for you as a practice owner. These manuals should include all the policies and procedures in place at your office and be accessible to the entire team. During our survey, 71 percent of dentists said they had an office manual, but what … Read more