Patient no-shows and cancellations less than 24 hours prior to an appointment were the top barrier preventing dental practice schedules from being 100 percent full in November, according to a recent poll by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The poll was taken as part of the ADA's monthly "Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry" report for the week of Nov. 14. The ADA surveyed 938 dentists about the factors preventing full practice schedules in November.
Here are the factors that prevented full practice schedules in November:
Patient no shows/cancellations within 24 hours: 82.7 percent
Not enough patients making appointments: 45.1 percent
Patient cancellations more than 24 hours prior: 44.8 percent
Trouble filling staff positions: 30.2 percent
COVID safety protocols: 7.6 percent
Other: 5.9 percent