Millions of Americans are delaying dental appointments over concerns about coronavirus infection, and that’s likely to continue to trigger higher fees for patients, job cuts for workers and fewer family practices.
When the pandemic began, essentially all dentists temporarily shut down for all but emergency appointments. While 99% of dentists have reopened, the number of patients visiting offices remains about 20% below usual, according to the American Dental Association.
And dentists don’t expect things to improve much more anytime soon despite significant safety measures they’ve rolled out to protect themselves and patients from COVID-19.
Source: Dentists raise fees, might exit family practices as pandemic keeps patients away / Chicago Sun-Times