FEATURED STORY

Understanding the new normal

This is not the first time that a global pandemic threw dentists into a panic. In the late 1980s the revelation that a dentist with AIDS was reported to have transmitted HIV to a young patient in Florida caused great apprehension among the general population. At the time, exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus was considered a death sentence. If one dentist could pass the virus onto a patient, was visiting any dentist safe? As we look ahead to dentistry’s “new normal” in the era of a deadly respiratory pandemic, let’s remember a few things we learned from our last major deadly bloodborne pandemic.

PRACTICE FACTS

The impact of COVID-19 on U.S. dental practices

To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. dental practices, the ADA Health Policy Institute has initiated a biweekly poll on economic conditions during the pandemic. The latest wave of this poll, collecting data for the week of May 4, shows early signs of movement in a positive direction among dental practices as some states reopened. HPI will continue to track data over time, every two weeks, in every state, to provide a real time snapshot of how the situation is unfolding. For the latest complete results, visit ADA.org/HPI.