How Saginaw Dentists Are Getting Creative During The Downturn
2020 was an extremely challenging year for dentists. Dentists were hard hit by the stay-at-home orders and Covid-19 related recession. A survey by SoftwarePundit, a prominent research firm that works with dental offices, the dental industry, which is valued at $139 billion, suffered a 6% decline in revenues in 2020. Appointments for dental hygiene care plunged by 47%, as patients were kept away by fear of catching Covid-19. It did not help that in many states, dentists were not considered essential workers. This forced many of them to close during the pandemic’s early months. 2020 seemed like a year when bad news followed bad news. Yet, as the saying goes, joy comes with the morning. Dentists have begun to recover and, as the pandemic was at its height, they found novel ways to adapt to unparalleled conditions. Many dentists have not just recovered from the slings and arrows of the pandemic, they have given back to their communities.
Many dentists have, for instance, volunteered to distribute vaccine doses since they first became available. They realised that people feel comfortable going to the dentist’s to receive a vaccine shot. And because dentists are medical professionals who adhere to the highest health and safety guidelines, people going to a dentists are assured of pristine conditions.
Dentists have the advantage of having patients whom they can contact about getting a vaccine shot. Because they have pre-existing relationships with their patients, persuading their patients is much easier than if a complete stranger did it. It’s just so much more comfortable going to your dentist to get a vaccine shot than it is going to a stranger.
As we go throughout the country and specifically in Saginaw, we find that many dentists have played a huge role in distributing vaccines to their communities. There have even been partnerships with pharmacies to handle the overflow of customers in pharmacies and administer the vaccine at dental offices. There are even instances of dentists offering to administer vaccines at their patient’s homes. This obviously helps to allay any safety concerns and is very helpful to people who otherwise cannot visit the dental office.
Dentists have really been moved to help their communities during this pandemic. This has been a great help because in many instances, people have been waiting a long time to get a vaccine shot. Having dentists involved in the vaccine program helps to ensure that people get vaccines faster. That can only be a good thing. Dentists have given back even to people who have not been affected by Covid-19.
There are stories of dentists who have given money to families in need during the pandemic. Even though a person may not have had Covid-19, the recession has hurt the ability of many people to earn an income and this is an area that these donations are meant to address.
Dentists who were in states that recognized them as essential workers have been especially fortunate and have done their best to give back to society. Visit your dentist Saginaw and be welcomed by a dentist who cares.