Sidekick - Volume 2, 2020 - 36

2020
Pandemic Panic Sets in & Dental Offices Approach
Shutdowns with Strong Safety Processes & Technology
The final year of the decade came in like any other but has turned out to be
the most challenging year most have ever experienced, with the eruption
of COVID-19 and the shutdown of many businesses, including dentistry. The
same digital technology meant to draw patients into a practice has proven to
be the same technology that allows doctors to continue offering safe, efficient
dental services amid the pandemic.
Espire Dental, an Integrated Dental Organization in Denver, Colorado, was
already well poised to brave the virus due to its extensive technology suite,
which provides dentistry faster, in single visits. They have three CEREC
systems going full-time, so patients receive restorations same-day, minimizing
additional appointments, and therefore, additional risk. Dentrix Ascend also
limits time inside the practice because patients fill out paperwork and pay
for services ahead of time from their device or computer. Even their office
design, with pocket doors originally designed for privacy and sound proofing,
has worked in their favor, isolating patients from one another more fully.

Espire Dental went digital and never looked back,
adding three intraoral scanners to the practice, ensuring
patients could receive same-day treatment.

Dr. Gregory Wu of Emerson Dental in Bedford, Massachusetts, confirms his
technology investment has been even more advantageous than he expected
in adapting his practice methods in the wake of the virus. He built a new,
second office for his multi-doctor specialty practice, not knowing then that the
Coronavirus would halt dental operations.
" Many of the techniques and technologies that we already implemented in
the office are here to help keep patients safe, from CEREC crowns to digital
X-rays, " said Dr. Wu in a welcome video he promoted to clients, sharing steps
they took to ensure safe dentistry. " A lot of the technology will help minimize
exposure and also keep our team safe and patients safe while maintaining
the highest quality of care. "

2020

Dr. Gregory Wu of Emerson Dental, credits his CAD/CAM
and digital imaging systems as key components to his
operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decade in Review
36 | Sidekick | Vol. 2 2020

2010

All of the offices featured in Sidekick Magazine in 2020 invested in added
safety measures on top of what they already do. That included enhanced
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), revised storage and scheduling, new
equipment that limits aerosol transmission, UV air filtration units, increased
disinfecting, and rigorous pre-screenings and patient queueing to limit
contact. Many noted that stringent processes were already a normal part
of their operations, so they only needed minor adjustments to deliver the
enhanced protocols.
What will happen in dentistry over the next year or the next decade?
How will the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect dentistry in the short
and long-term? Stay on top of the latest advances and news by visiting
Henry Schein's content library. Read the latest on new technologies, office
builds, best practices, practice profiles, and other tools to enhance your
practice operations and bottom line.

Coming Soon...

Dentistry has evolved over the past
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Sidekick - Volume 2, 2020

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