Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on dentists’ workforce confidence and workflow

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the US economy and workforce, including marked effects on small businesses. Researchers have evaluated workers’ views of financial confidence and advancement, but there has been limited focus on the dental industry. METHODS: To extend investigations to dentistry, the authors used published scales and pretested questions to determine workforce confidence and workflow changes among dentists. Data were evaluated using descriptive and bivariate statistics. In the wake of the pandemic, surveys were distributed to the memberships of the American Dental Association and American Association of Orthodontists (n = 656). RESULTS: Dentists’ top concern was increased cost of providing treatment (57.4%; 95% CI, 53.5% to 61.3%), associated with widely adopted workflow changes including reduced patient volumes (66.0%; 95% CI, 62.4% to 69.6%) and increased safety protocols and equipment (health screening: 75.5%; 95% CI, 72.2% to 78.8%; KN/N95 respirators: 76.7%; 95% CI, 73.5% to 80.0%). However, most respondents did not expect their personal or practice finances to be negatively affected after the pandemic, as only 18.5% (95% CI, 15.4% to 21.7%) predicted their practice’s gross revenue would decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists were optimistic in the wake of vaccinations and lifting restrictions. Most expected their finances and practice performance to remain the same or grow in the short term and expected long-term improvements postpandemic. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest that despite shutdowns and workflow changes, dentists have rebounded financially and anticipate future growth.