New Hampshire dental offices are unlikely to suspend nonessential care again even as COVID-19 cases continue to surge at alarming rates, New Hampshire Dental Society Director Michael Auerbach said in a Nov. 12 Concord Monitor report.
Mr. Auerbach told the newspaper it will be a long time before dental practices in the state can fully recover, as many dentists are struggling to bounce back from the period of revenue loss during the early pandemic and are paying inflated out-of-pocket costs for personal protective equipment.
He also believes dental practices will remain open because large numbers of patients delaying routine care can lead to an oral health crisis. Joshua Osofsky, DMD, the New Hampshire Dental Society's president, told Concord Monitor several patients have come to his office with compounded dental problems after delaying care because of the pandemic.
Public health officials have learned enough about the infection control practices needed to keep dental staff and patients safe amid the pandemic, according to Mr. Auerbach.
"The biggest concern right now is catching up,” he said. "Patients are complaining they have to wait for an appointment. Dentists are working 10 to 12-hour days sometimes just to manage the volume."
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