Dear DrBicuspid Member,
There's a quote from legendary (at least in his own mind) journalist Ron Burgundy in the movie "Anchorman" that seemed to apply to this week when it came to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the dental industry.
"Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast."
There was plenty of quick reaction this week to the WHO's recommendation to postpone routine dental checkups in areas with community spread of COVID-19 to protect dental teams and patients from potential infection-spreading aerosols. With the dental industry still working to overcome the disruption caused by the pandemic and patient volumes hovering at about 73% of prepandemic levels at the end of July, another message to consumers about staying away from dentistry is not what anyone in our industry wanted to hear.
To say that the WHO and the ADA didn't see eye to eye on the recommendation is an understatement, and we put together a summary of what the ADA and other organizations, as well as individual dentists and consultants, had to say about the recommendation.
Of course, keeping dentists, team members, and patients safe has become the top priority since COVID-19 became a part of our regular vocabulary. That includes proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and its correct use and care.
With that in mind, there was an article this week about N95 masks that gathered a lot of attention. Dry heat generated by electric rice cookers, pressure multicookers, and ovens may decontaminate N95 respirators, making them safe for reuse, the authors wrote in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. What do you think?
Also, what about the air you breathe inside your practice? Integrating indoor air quality control strategies into shared areas such as dental offices can reduce the risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to a recent editorial in Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
Finally, every practice could use a fresh look at its business strategies, especially with the fourth quarter of the year fast approaching. Christine Taxin is a dental consultant who has been married to a dentist for 30 years, giving her a unique perspective on what it takes to make a practice succeed, in good and bad times. This week, she shared five tips that can help boost your dental business.
Once again, I want to take a moment and express my thanks to you for reading DrBicuspid.com. On behalf of my team, I wish you a great weekend ahead!
