There has been a lot of speculation about Dental Professionals in the last few weeks. We did a post What Dental Professionals Need to Reopen Your Practice. And that was based on a lot of research and talking with many people.
But our clients kept asking questions that we didn’t have all the answers to. These questions included.
- Are dental professionals willing to work right now?
- Do they have childcare so they can get back to work?
- Are they leaving the industry?
- Do I have all the precautions in place to keep them safe?
- How do I hire when I am not sure what my patients will do?
Well, we took the liberty of sending out a survey to the thousands of dental professionals we have on our site to get those questions answered for you.
Here are our findings.
Are you back to work in a dental practice?
56% said yes.
44% saying no.
Position breakdown of survey respondents:
31% Registered Dental Assistants
11% Dental Assistants
29% Registered Dental Hygienists
10% Front Office
14% Office Managers
5% Dentists/Specialists
Are you happy to return to work?
30% said they are nervous about working again but feel OK about it.
22% said they are unhappy and don’t feel safe.
20% said they are happy to be working again and feel safe.
4% said they can’t work due to COVID-19 related reasons.
7% can’t work because they don’t have access to childcare.
6% are ready to but need to find a job.
18% marked “other”.
In the other column, 50% mentioned PPE being the biggest deterrent from reopening.
What are your concerns with going back to work?
We let respondents mark multiple answers.
46% said they are concerned about contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
28% said they feel their office is not fully prepared with PPE.
20%, they aren’t concerned and are happily working.
5% said they aren’t concerned and are looking for work.
15% marked other.
In the “other” the answers varied. But the top contenders were:
- I feel like the new protocols are going to be hard, exhausting and constantly changing.
- Their job is going to now take a more physical toll on their bodies.
- There won’t be enough time on the schedule for them to properly sterilize AND offer superior care for their patients.
- Wont receive enough hours at work.
- And sadly, a small few said they will most likely leave the industry.
What can dentists/employers do to make you feel safe and comfortable at work?
We let this be an open text answer and we have summarized the majority points below.
- PPE. Have enough.
- Follow recommended guidelines and protocols.
- COMMUNICATE what systems you have put into place and why.
- Don’t rush to get back to production. Stagger patients, and give the staff time to perfect the new protocols to ensure everyone’s safety.
- Hygienist appointments need to be longer since they can’t use the tools they were using before.
- Be kind and patient with your staff. This is all new to them too.
- Have the Air Conditioning on super high at all times and make sure the front office staff knows not to touch it.
With the results of this survey, I now feel very confident in now answering those questions.
- Are dental professionals willing to work right now?
It looks like they are. At least 56% of them. - Do they have childcare so they can get back to work?
Only 7% said the lack of childcare is holding them back from working. Not as high as I suspected. - Are they leaving the industry?
Doesn’t look like too many plan to leave. And if they do, they will probably be back.
- Do I have all the precautions in place to keep them safe?
This seemed to be the biggest concern from our respondents. So make sure you have the PPE and have a protocol list printed out to review with them. Luckily we worked with some Office Managers to develop this one. - How do I hire when I am not sure what my patients will do?
Take it slow. Start with a soft launch and as your confidence grows, so will your patients. In the meantime, use temps on DirectDental until you are ready to hire. If you find a temp you like, there are no placement fees to hire them!
I hope this post helped you see into the mind of your dental professionals! Have a great day!