Acquiring Dental Equipment

There are a number of professional dental suppliers that can provide practitioners with the right equipment. A variety of wholesale products are available on a long-term basis, including:

Patient Chairs

Patient chairs are one of the most important pieces of equipment you need for a dental practice.

Key features you should look for include:

• Movable armrests to help patients get in and out of the chairs easily
• Programmable positions or a touchpad or footswitch that allows you to make adjustments depending on the type of work being done

In short, you need to choose a chair design that is ergonomic – designed for both efficiency and comfort – so that your patients have a satisfying experience.

Sterilization Equipment

Sterilization equipment is critically important for a dental practice to mitigate the spread of infection. Sterilizing all of your tools keeps them safe, efficient, and effective. Ultimately, sterilization equipment:

• Eliminates cross-contamination
• Reduces the risk of illness or disease being transferred to patients
• Prevents injury from manually washing equipment

X-rays

Obviously, X-ray imaging instruments are necessary to accurately diagnose and treat a patient’s dental condition. Dental imaging can help locate the early signs of cavities, infections, and gum disease so that patients can be treated as quickly as possible. In particular, upgrading to digital X-ray technology will:

• Reduce radiation and improve efficiency in your practice
• Provide higher resolution images
• Allow you to share images across different devices to other professionals instantly
• Improve the efficiency of your practice

Handpieces

The right dental handpieces are necessary for routine appointments and surgical procedures. Whether handpieces are electrical or high-speed airdriven, they must be functional, feel comfortable in your hand, and allow you to balance their weight during procedures.

Dental Lights

If your practice includes dental surgery, dental operating lights improve your chances of success. Optimal lighting conditions allow for proper diagnosis and the ability to monitor what is going on during a procedure. In particular, dental lights with different swing arm adjustments and options will help you adjust the flow and direction of the light for each patient.

Cabinetry

Finally, your practice must have a good storage solution that allows you to quickly access the materials you need. Cabinetry for your dental practice should be both aesthetically pleasing and durable. Options include center island cabinets, size cabinets, and mobile cabinets.

The Takeaway

Having the right equipment is essential for any dental practice, but there are many factors to consider from arranging for financing to mitigating potential liabilities. The best way to secure the right dental equipment and plan your growth strategy is to consult with a lawyer who represents dental professionals.

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Covid-19: Dental Practices Meet the Challenge

Before we take a deep dive into the current trends in dentistry, the impact of Covid-19 cannot be overlooked. While dental practices around the country experienced brief shutdowns when the pandemic hit, many were able to quickly open because they already had significant safeguards in place.

Dental practices have customarily used personal protective equipment and maintained sterile conditions and that preparation has paid off. The American Dental Association (ADA) recently reported low infection rates among dentists and dental staff after nearly two years of the pandemic. The bottom line is that dental revenue remains strong. A recent study shows that revenue only declined by 6 percent in 2020 and is anticipated to grow by 7.5 percent in 2021.

Top 5 Dental Industry Trends in 2022

While Covid-9 continues to pose challenges, and the impact of the omicron variant is not yet known, let’s take a look at the current trends driving the dental industry.

1. Establishing Patient Trust

Creating and maintaining trust with patients over time has always been crucial for dental professionals. Attracting new patients requires dentists to demonstrate their expertise and trustworthiness by informing patients about the services they can expect to receive. One way for dental practices to increase new patient registration is to implement a digital marketing plan and create educational website content (e.g. blogs, videos) that will encourage potential patients to enlist the dentist’s services.

2. Convenience Matters

Dental patients are essentially consumers with numerous healthcare options, which makes prioritizing convenience for patients essential. Patients expect 24/7 access to services, treatment when they need it, and direct communication with their dentists. Some ways to provide convenience in dentistry include:

• Having an online portal that allows patients to schedule appointments online, ask questions, and fill out intake forms
• Expanding office hours to provide appointments at convenient times, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends
• Allowing patients to pay online or with their mobile devices
• Utilizing teledentistry and live video

3. The Rise of 3D Printing

The use of 3D printing by dentists increased in 2021 and is expected to continue in the coming year. In short, 3D printing increases the speed of creating custom dentures, crowns, and more which can now be made in minutes instead of in days or weeks. This technological breakthrough uses resins that (1) produce the fine feature details that are required for dental devices and (2) have the potential to be used for both short-term and long-term dental solutions.

4. Laser Technology

The rise of laser technology is transforming dentistry. Laser dentistry can eliminate cavities with little or no pain, reduce the risk of infection, lessen bleeding, decrease the need for sutures, and lead to faster healing.

5. Emotional Dentistry

Emotional dentistry encourages patients to directly participate in their treatment and foresee the outcome. Patients can envision their final restorations and try different smiles through digital photos and virtual mockups and choose the most appealing one. This approach can improve patient trust, improve the patient experience, and make the process of receiving dental care less intimidating than it would be otherwise.

The Takeaway

As dentists continue to serve patients in the face of the ongoing pandemic, embracing technology and improving the patient experience can help dental professionals grow their practices. As always, protecting your interests and navigating the new normal requires having trustworthy advice and guidance from an experienced dental lawyer.

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Given the current epidemic of ransomware attacks against businesses large and small, it is crucial for dental professionals to focus on cybersecurity to protect their practices. Let’s take a look at the steps you can take to protect your dental practice from being hacked.

Backup Your Data

Like many businesses, dental practices are turning to software vendors to store their data, but ransomware attacks can render your data unusable or make restarting operations difficult if not possible. While there are a number of cloud storage systems available to store data offline through remote servers, it is crucial to use strong encryption methods to ensure data protection. Also, portable devices (e,g, tablet pcs, portable dental equipment) should be stored separately and not remain connected to the internet to prevent software viruses.

Seek Reputable Vendors and Platforms

It is essential to rely on vendors with expertise in the dental industry for connected services, devices, and storage systems. Practice owners should start by getting references from other dentists and then ask vendors what service-level agreements are available, which ideally will be standard with their solutions.

Train Employees on Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity measures will be ineffective if there is a weak link in the chain of command. So all employees in a dental practice — front desk personnel, hygienists, associate dentists, practice owners — should receive regular training to learn how to identify and respond to potential attacks through “phishing” emails, fake voicemails, and robocalls.

Purchase Cyber Insurance

Professional insurance brokers now offer cyber insurance along with their line of customary insurance products (e.g. general liability, professional liability, commercial property, business disruption). Cyber insurance is designed to cover losses arising from data breaches and cyberattacks give you peace of mind. Many policies include guidelines for protecting your practice and provide incentives such as cost-sharing to help implement cybersecurity solutions.

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Can a healthcare employer require employees to get Covid-19 vaccines?

The ADA notes that a vaccine requirement must be job-related, a business necessity, and no more intrusive than necessary. Dental practices meet this standard with respect to COVID-19 given that an individual with COVID-19 poses a direct threat to others.

Moreover, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently published updated guidelines on vaccine mandates in the workplace. In short, employers, including dental practices, can require all employees entering the workplace to be vaccinated, as long as the requirement adheres to applicable federal law and state laws.

For example, employees who have a known medical condition that makes them ineligible for the Covid-19 vaccine may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Also, employees who have a genuinely held religious belief or practice that conflicts with such a requirement may be entitled to an accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

While these federal anti-discrimination laws only apply to employers with 15 or more employees. However, state equal employment opportunity laws apply to most employers. If you have questions about vaccine mandates and accommodations under applicable laws, talk to an experienced attorney.

What proof of vaccination can employers request?

Dental practice should not request any information that reveals any medical information about the employee other than vaccination status. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided vaccination cards for such purposes; however, any information provided by the employee must remain confidential.

Are employers required to provide paid time off for employees to get a shot, or pay for time off in the case of side effects?

If staff members are required to be vaccinated, the practice is responsible for paying any time the employee is required to spend off-duty hours under federal and state wage and hour laws.

If staff members experience side effects that keep them out for a day, the ADA also recommends providing paid time off.

What if a staff member refuses to be vaccinated?

If an employee refuses to get vaccinated, find out why. If the refusal is based on a claimed disability or religious belief, determine whether a reasonable accommodation is feasible. While there have been reports of employees being terminated for refusing a shot, you cannot retaliate against a staff member who exercises their legal right to an accommodation.

What if a staff member suffers an adverse reaction?

If a dental practice requires employees to be vaccinated, adverse reactions would generally be compensable to them under state workers’ compensation laws.

Why This Matters

Employer vaccine mandates in the workplace are likely to become more widespread once they receive final FDA approval. In the meantime, if you have concerns about implementing a vaccine mandate at your dental practice, consult with a lawyer who works with medical professionals.

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Given the costs associated with state-of-the-art dental technology, as well as the risks to patient privacy and related cybersecurity concerns. This article is a discussion of some of the ways technology is driving the dental profession in the new normal.

Virtual Accessibility

When the pandemic forced dental practices to shut down for emergency-only patients, virtual accessibility became critically important for providing patients virtual examinations prior to seeing them. Dental practices will continue to utilize the teledentistry model, providing for improved patient engagement and retention.

Software Technology

Today, cloud- and browser-based practice management software provide dental teams with seamless access to radiographs and other clinical data as well as intuitive workflow for patient intake, scheduling, contact, and billing.

In addition to practice management software, imaging software technology, such as intraoral cameras can be used for virtual patient visits, while patient engagement programs offer teledentistry through a patient’s computer or smartphone. Moreover, dental imaging capabilities have expanded dramatically with digital sensors that provide more detail, better diagnostics, and better patient outcomes.

Touchless Communications

As patients return to dental practices, many are looking to communicate in touchless ways. Dental providers can engage with patients virtually using methods that work for them (e.g. phone, text, email) and send online forms to patients prior to their appointments.

Patients can complete intake forms, medical history, demographic, and insurance information prior to their appointments and the information can often be automatically uploaded into the practice management software so that it is readily available.

As for dental insurance, sending electronic insurance claims results in more expedient processing and turnaround times, while third-party payment options allow for touchless payments by patients, which can improve practice revenues.

Electronic Prescriptions

In response to the opioid crisis and to prevent prescription fraud, most states have passed laws requiring medical and dental clinicians to send prescriptions for pain medications electronically to pharmacies; and filling prescriptions electronically is touchless and saves time.

Why Data Matters

Dental practices looking to improve productivity and profitability need statistical data to improve practice functionality. From scheduling to controlling accounts receivable, a variety of cloud-based programs can provide real-time information about the practice’s overall business health.

The Takeaway

As dental practice technology evolves, dentists will be able to provide better care to patients and also help their practices grow. The best way for dental professionals to navigate the new normal is to consult with an advisors (including attorneys) who have a working knowledge of the dentistry space.

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Practice Transitioning Considerations

While many dentists paused transitioning plans at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, some are currently reconsidering their options. A few key reasons to do so include:

Risk and Liability

Dental professionals, like any business owner, need to reduce their risk of liability if something happens to them. It is crucial to ensure their practices, family, and staff will be protected. In short, considering a practice transition or establishing a succession plan goes hand-in-hand with a comprehensive estate planning strategy.

While many older dentists may not be ready to retire, it is crucial to have a plan in place and mitigate the risk of liability if a staff member or patient gets sick. In this situation, having an associate buy-in can allow them to continue operating their practices while offloading some of the liability risks. Another option is to consider partnering with a dental services organization to manage the practice.

Taxes and Interest Rates

Given that trillions of dollars have been pumped into the economy via the relief packages enacted by Congress, changes to the tax code are inevitable. While these changes remain to be seen, the White House is reportedly considering hiking the corporate tax rate from 21 percent (which was lowered from 27 percent in 2017 by the Tax Cut and Jobs Act) to 28 percent.

In addition, an increase in the capital gains tax may be in offing, which is a key concern for dental professionals who are considering selling their practices. Similarly, interest rates remain at historic lows, however monetary policy in the new normal is uncertain at best. At some point, a hike in interest rates may be necessary to reduce the risk of inflation, which could impact financing options for buyers.

COVID-19 Concerns

The pandemic has left its mark on all of us, and dental professionals face unique concerns. Many obtained loans through the Paycheck Protection Program to keep their practices open, made operational changes to their practices and ordered additional personal protection equipment (PPE) even as their service numbers declined. While patients have returned and numbers are higher in some cases due to the backlog, the future is uncertain for sellers and buyers alike.

Why This Matters

Whether you are considering selling your dental practice or looking to grow an existing one, navigating the new normal requires careful planning. By consulting with an experienced attorney, you can consider all your practice transition options.

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Whether you are a newly minted dentist or looking to expand an existing practice, it is wise to consult with an attorney who can help you achieve your objectives in the dental space. In the meantime, let’s take a look at how the practice of dentistry continues to evolve.

Patient-Centered Dental Care

Today, dentistry has become more patient-focused as advances in technology allow dentists to make more accurate diagnoses and provide quicker, more efficient services, such as same-day crowns, implant-supported dentures, and tooth alignment. Moreover, improvements in technology along with greater knowledge of oral health allow dentists to provide preventative rather than solely providing restorative care.

Advanced Diagnostic Tools

There are many tools for preventative care. For example, dentists can now detect cavities with lasers that are able to identify a weakness or a cavity in the tooth. This type of technology allows dentists to monitor teeth with each visit and take action early on.

Two recent innovations in dentistry are computer-assisted design (CAD) and computer-assisted manufacture (CAM) technologies. With these technologies, a crown can be created and applied in one day, rather than sending it to a dental laboratory. Another exciting development is 3D digital imaging, which allows dentists to detect issues with the teeth, tissue, muscle, bone, and nerves.

This technology also allows dentists to make more accurate diagnoses, which can save patients time and money in the long run. In addition, digital dental x-rays enable dentists to detect cavities and other abnormalities, such as cysts, abscesses, and tumors. Digital imaging is also leading to improvements in treatments such as root canal, oral surgery, and dental implants.

A Better Dental Environment

Along with advances in technology and improved diagnostic care, dental professionals are paying more attention to creating satisfying patient experiences. Given that many patients still have fears about seeing a dentist, it is crucial to create a welcoming environment that emphasizes comfort and care.

Why This Matters

The unprecedented challenges facing the dental profession make it imperative to utilize all the resources at your disposal to deliver quality care. Currently, patient volumes have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, so dentists will need to be nimble and explore growth opportunities whether by forming associations or relying on a dental services organization to reduce administrative overhead. By working with an experienced attorney, you will be able to grow your dental practice and continue providing quality care to your patients.

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In Dec. 2020, the ADA sent letters to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHA) addressing its concerns “regarding the cost, availability, and distribution of personal protective equipment.”

PPE: Limited Supplies + Increased Demand = Increased Prices

According to data compiled by the ADA’s Health Policy Institute (HPI), prices for PPE — N95 and surgical masks, face shields, gowns, gloves, disinfecting supplies — are up significantly. The HPI has been conducting biweekly polls on economic conditions for dental practices during the pandemic. Core questions in the tracking poll include:

• How many days worth of PPE does your practice have?
• How much have prices changed for PPE since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic?
• How difficult has it been to obtain the correct size and material (e.g. latex, non-latex) of gloves?
• How has the number of PPE distributors used by practice changed since the onset of the pandemic.

The HPI said that nearly one-third of dentists have reported prices across all categories of PPE have tripled. Surgical masks and gloves have seen the largest increases, and most dentists have found it moderately or very difficult to obtain the correct gloves. Also, more dentists are currently relying on a variety of PPE distributors; nearly three-quarters of dentists are using at least two.

For their part, leading distributors report that key factors driving PPE prices include:

• The limited number of manufacturers
• Raw material requirements
• Global logistic challenges
• Import/export issues

In short, the global demand for PPE is pushing prices to unprecedented levels in the U.S. The increased costs for PPE come at a time when patient volumes are down significantly. The HPI predicts that dental care spending could decline by up to 38 percent in 2020 and 20 percent in 2021.

In the letter, the ADA stated, “Dentistry is an essential health care service and dentists and their teams are essential health care workers who need access to PPE in order to stay safe from the coronavirus.”

The Takeaway

While the ADA is dedicated to advocating for dental practices, the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on dentistry. Given the increased costs and declining patient volumes, more dentists may consider forming associations or selling their practices. The best way to navigate these unprecedented challenges is to consult with an attorney who provides legal services to dental professionals.

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Teledentistry: Expanded oral health care, increased revenue, better health outcomes

A recent report, based on a survey of about 2,800 dental professionals throughout 20 states, found that more than 23 percent were using teledentistry, while 11 percent of dental providers who were not using telehealth planned to do so in the near future.

This translates to a utilization rate of about 27 percent, which is consistent with the rate of dentists seeing patients via telehealth earlier in the pandemic, when practices were limited to providing urgent and non-elective guidelines in accordance with CDC and ADA guidelines.

While it remains to be seen how the pandemic will play out, the increasing reliance on teledentistry is likely to provide a path forward for dental professionals. Many observers believe the innovation of telehealth services lends itself to providing more cost-effective, efficient and equitable healthcare for all. The end result will be dentists providing care that enhances disease prevention and overall health.

Telehealth at a Glance

Teledentistry is primarily conducted through phone and video calls and allows dentists to provide an array of services, including:

• Mouth/teeth examinations
• Patient triage
• Pain management
• Oral hygiene instruction
• Referrals

Although dentists are primarily using telehealth for prescribing medication and screening patients, the use of teledentistry can be expanded to more preventive services. Ultimately, dental providers who continue to see reduced patient volumes and anticipate long-term changes in dentistry will tap into telehealth services.

How Telehealth Supports The Bottom Line

The report also found that telehealth utilization supports the bottom line, particularly through the use of alternative payment models (APMs), which will provide additional revenue while enhancing access to care for both current and new patients. In short, telehealth provides a range of benefits, from expanding value-based care to improving outcomes for both oral and general health.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, teledentistry is more than a short-term solution to the pandemic, but rather part of the range of services dental professionals will provide going forward. The best way to navigate these unprecedented times, and ensure your practice thrives in the post-pandemic dental landscape, is to consult with an attorney who can help you weigh the pros and cons of telehealth services.

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Dental Patients Have Concerns About Coronavirus

According to the American Dental Association(ADA), the number of patients visiting offices is 20 percent below usual levels. The ADA projects spending on dental care to fall by 38 percent this year and 20 percent in 2021. As spending on dental care continues to fall, dentists also face increased costs arising from federally mandated safety measures related to coronavirus.

These measures include:

• Increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks and disposable gowns
• Air purifiers
• Cleaning solutions
• Temperature checks
• Hand-washing and social distancing (having patients wait in their cars until their appointment is set begin)

The ADA estimates the costs of such measures to be about $15 to $20 per patient, which dentists are passing along to their patients through increased fees. In addition, dentists are unable to see as many patients as normal because of social distancing requirements and additional time needed to sterilize their offices.

As dental practices struggle to manage increased costs and lower patient volumes, the pandemic will make it increasingly difficult for solo practitioners to remain viable. Ultimately, more and more dentists may move to join group practices while others are likely to sell their practices to investors.

The COVID-19 pandemic also presents significant challenges to new dentists who may not be in a position to finance launching a practice. Given these exigencies, one option is to join a Dental Services Organization, which provides back-office support to handle human resources, billing, and related matters while allowing a dentist to focus on patient care

.

The Takeaway

While dental industry leaders are not aware of documented cases of COVD-19 outbreaks in dental offices, patients remained concerned for their safety. Despite following protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the potential for lockdowns is high as the second wave of the pandemic looms large. Because therapeutics are still in development and a vaccine may not be available until next year, if at all, the future of dentistry remains uncertain. By working with an attorney who has working knowledge of the dental industry, you will be better equipped to manage the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

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