Is Dentistry an Accurate Indicator of Economic Recovery?

The typical stability of the dental practice business model makes it the profession to watch for insight into our economic recovery, according to the New York Times. Private dental offices experienced a catastrophic hit with the COVID-19 global pandemic, with most closing completely except for emergency treatment on March 16. Of all the healthcare jobs lost in the United States during the pandemic, 35% were dental related.

However, this rapid decline was accompanied by a quick job recovery. According to the American Dental Association, as of June 1, 77% of dentists had hired all of their employees back. While many dental practices have opened, dentistry still has 289,000 fewer employees than pre-pandemic levels. Patient levels have also yet to return to pre-pandemic numbers. Read more here.