A look at the state of dentistry through the eyes of top practitioners as the fourth quarter of 2021 arrives.

EAGER TO GET a sense of how doctors are dealing with the lingering effects of the pandemic—and to get a handle on the condition of the profession more broadly—Benco Dental and several industry partners recently surveyed some 720 dentists and office managers throughout North America on an array of topics including their overall business outlook, Covid-19, office procedures, contentment on the job and more. Some highlights:

They Can, in Fact, Get Satisfaction
Some 83 percent of dentists rate themselves either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their profession. Interestingly, 91 percent of those who work for DSOs say they’re satisfied, versus 81 percent of dentists at individual practices.

More Tech, More Team
More than three-fifths of respondents said they intended to invest in practice upgrades in 2021, with a 36 percent plurality saying they’d be adding new equipment. A further 32 percent reported hiring additional staff.

The Oral-Rinse Cup Is Half-Full
By wide margins, dentists are more optimistic than pessimistic, more content than frustrated and more confident than nervous about the industry going forward.

Menu Upgrades Are Coming
The two most common services doctors intend to add in the years to come are cosmetology and Botox (just 9 percent currently offer them, but a further 8 percent plan to), and sleep procedures (21 percent currently offer them, with 7 percent planning to).

The inaugural State of Dentistry Report for 2021 was produced under a partnership consisting of Benco Dental, Glidewell Dental, Midmark Corporation and Young Innovations. For more information, scan the QR code at right.