The state of Dentistry Report 2021...

The state of Dentistry Report 2021: the results are in! We’ve seen the news, we’ve lived through the global pandemic and it’s been almost two years since the last state of Dentistry report. The impact of the past year could never have been predicted nor could what was to come for dentistry and the whole world… 

To download and read the full White Paper report click here. 

The survey commissioned by Dentally, the UK's leading cloud-enabled practice management software, involved 90 leaders in the industry across the country, from established practice owners to new practitioners in the early stages of practice development -  all put together to gain a representation of varied views on the tumultuous 2020. 

There is no doubt that the dental industry has faced its biggest challenges to date throughout the past year. The initial lockdown had tremendous effects on dental practitioners across the UK from financial struggles to some dentists being in such a bad place that jobs outside of dentistry were sought.  

There has been an increase in negativity towards digital technology which has been driven by a lack of clinical care and more time spent on administrative tasks as a result of the new mode of operating within Covid-19 guidelines and “the pressures being put on dentists’ time resulting in negative feelings around patient care, time spent on admin, and the ability to innovate and improve their practices.”  For instance, In 2019 we saw 88% of dentists polled stated that technology was making practice management easier whereas in 2020 only 61% felt that way.

There are promises of prosperity and hope that do remain within dentistry. Patients themselves in light of virtual care have noted a satisfiable, safe and secure experience during COVID-19 practice adaptations. For example, 97% of patients were satisfied with their care delivered via virtual clinic and 96% would use the system again in light of Covid-19.  

Dentally understands that listening and responding to the views of practice owners is fundamental to understanding the future of dentistry. Challenges and preferences determine and shape how dental practitioners operate and the methods they select to run their practices. Practice owners are the foundation of the dental industry and must be valued to create careers and spur future innovation.  

From the outset, the Dentally team has always shared a common vision: To make dentists lives easier. That narrative has never changed and today it is stronger than ever.  We maintain our commitment to using the power of cloud technology and innovation to help and support dentists and will continue to talk to our customers as to the best ways of tackling the issues they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

The State of Dentistry report 2021 highlighted the challenges that Covid-19 has presented to the dental industry. It showed us that practitioners feel now more than before that their work-life balance has weakened and that their faith in technology has been reduced. One thing is for certain the dental industry has changed drastically over the last year but the desire for the best possible patient care remains at the heart of the industry - adapting to change is essential. 

To download the full report click here. 

We are always keen to hear your views and feedback on the survey, so please email us your thoughts: hello@dentally.co