The top 5 business and industry stories of 2020

Dec 23, 2020

DrBicuspid.com likes to keep our readers up to date on all the happenings occurring in business and industry. As in many of our other communities, COVID-19 news pretty much dominated the Business & Industry Community in 2020.

Here are the top five business and industry articles from 2020:

COVID-19 rapid test kits and their effect on the dental community

Our clinical editor, Dr. David Rice, offers his thoughts on COVID-19 rapid test kits and how they could potentially affect the dental profession.
SmileDirectClub wins in courtroom, dental offices

SmileDirectClub announced that it is selling its teeth-straightening products to dentists and orthodontists. Additionally, the company scored a legal victory, with a New Jersey court finding it does not engage in the "corporate practice of dentistry." The move to sell to clinicians in 2020 put the company in direct competition with its ex-partner, Align Technology.
Experts warn dentistry's future is murky despite current robust return

As of June 1, about 90% of dental practices had reopened and patient volume had rebounded by up to 65%, depending on location. However, some industry experts warn that a complete bounce back from the pandemic isn't likely in 2020, according to a panel discussion hosted on June 11 by the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI).
46% of dental offices may collapse if COVID-19 restrictions continue

An astounding 46% of dentists reported that they would not be able to sustain their practices if they were forced to keep postponing all nonemergency treatments through the end of August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from HPI.
What COVID-19 is revealing about dental practices

The peak number of patients that dentists can see daily has dropped considerably due to new protocols implemented to control the spread of COVID-19. However, patient volumes remain close to maximum levels, suggesting offices weren't very efficient before the pandemic, according to data from HPI.