Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 2

From the President ANewEconomicContext The pandemic created circumstances that I believe provide an advantage to small, efficient practices that are better able to weather economic fluctuations because of their smaller overheads. Lean practices are resilient due to lower fixed costs and smaller staffs. Less debt also means less stress, and I think we could all benefit from a little less stress these days! Supplies are one area where larger scale means lower prices. However, many provincial dental associations (PDAs) have set up online purchasing groups to help smaller practices achieve similar price advantages as their larger counterparts. Even before the pandemic, economies of scale in dentistry were at the level of individual practices, not multi-practice firms. The type of practice that I expect to flourish is comprised of two dentists sharing a 2–4 chair office, open 6 or 7 days a week. Each dentist could work alone with their team, 1,600 hours a year, never see their partner and provide excellent access to care quite efficiently. WorkandOfficeChanges For many of our patients, working in a traditional office environment came to an abrupt end last March. Suddenly, working from home using virtual tools became the new norm. For many employees and employers, working from home has had benefits (no commute!). Few companies, large or small, plan to return to the traditional office setting anytime soon; teams working remotely will likely be one of the most lasting, significant changes brought about by COVID. In response, trends have shown Canadians choosing to move away from dense urban areas. As a result, the real estate market has soared in suburbs and small towns. This presents an opportunity for dentists to serve growing populations in these areas. VirtualCommunications Like everyone else, dentists have been communicating and building community online during the pandemic. Personally, connecting with friends and family in new ways was an unexpected joy during a challenging year. Dentistry can be a solitary profession, but the pandemic made our need to connect with each other crucial. We sought out information and comfort by sharing our challenges and triumphs online with our peers. In my role as CDA president, I witnessed extraordinary collaboration between CDA and the PDAs to share essential and emerging information with dentists and tailor our services to meet the needs of dentists as the pandemic evolved. Many dentists quickly adopted teledentistry in the spring so that we could deliver care during the shut down. I believe that this presents an opportunity for the future; some dental care can be done virtually, which will increase access to care for many groups. Many of us are now doing our CE virtually and many dental conventions are shifting to online platforms. In early March, the Pacific Dental Convention 2021 was presented as a virtual experience and the Manitoba Dental Association will co-host a new national 2021 Virtual Dental Convention with CDA, April 12–17 ( mdacda2021.com) . LastingChanges The pandemic has emphasised the importance of diverse and deeply engaged leadership in organized dentistry. I’ve been grateful for and impressed by the work of my colleagues this year as we’ve met regularly on Zoom. Meeting virtually will make it easier for younger dentists to get involved in organized dentistry early in their careers. I’m excited for the next generation of leaders whose skills and passions have been forged by the challenges and change of the pandemic. The past year demonstrated, over and over, how purposeful our work is. Our patients need us, sometimes urgently. Ours is deeply fulfilling work. As a community, we proved our resilience, empathy and a dynamic capacity to innovate. It has been my privilege and pleasure to serve you this year. 8 | 2021 | Issue 2 CDA at W ork