Dentist Bills Expected to Rise Due to Pandemic
Going to the dentist is not on my top 10 list of most fun things to do, although it's very important to keep your teeth in tip top shape.
In fact, I went to the dentist office last week just to get my annual teeth cleaning and check up. When I was sitting in the waiting room, I noticed there were not that many people waiting for an appointment and there's a reason for that.
According to USA Today, millions of Americans are delaying dental appointments over concerns about coronavirus infection, and that's likely to trigger increased fees for patients, job cuts for workers and fewer family practice.
If we go back to spring when the pandemic began, most if not all dentists temporarily shut down for all but emergency appointments, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work.
According to the latest statistics form the American Dental Association, the number of patients visiting offices remains about 20% below usual levels.
Dentists don't expect much to improve anytime soon despite significant safety measures they've rolled out to protect themselves and patients from COVID-19.
Spending on dental care could fall by up to 38% in 2020 and 20% in 2021. Based on a dental survey, more than 46% said their patient volume was down at least 15% from usual levels during the week of Oct. 5. (USA Today)
The American Dental Association also said that about 15% to 20% of regular dental patients will not be going back to the dentist until there's a vaccine or a proven treatment.