Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 6

DIAC Future of Dentistry Survey Canadian dentists remain resilient despite financial concerns The results from the 2020 DIAC Future of Dentistry survey reflect dentists’ concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but they also show how resilient Canadian dentists have been during the crisis. The 24th edition of the annual survey from the Dental Industry Association of Canada (DIAC) was conducted between February and June 2020, andmany participants responded during the period of dental office closures due to COVID-19 lockdowns. However, the survey was designed and launched prior to the pandemic and it did not include specific questions addressing the impact of the pandemic on dental practices. A s might be expected, “financial concerns” is now the top challenge Canadian dentists intend to address in their practice in 2020, according to survey results. This challenge was ranked fourth last year. The other top challenges remain consistent over the past 5 years: This year, a new category of concern arose: “securing proper PPE.” This appears as a clear reference to the PPE shortages the health care industry had to face during the peak of the pandemic. Moreover, 32% of respondents rated “incorporating technology in the office” as a key metric for success in 2020. In an interview with CDA, Rhonda Lawson, DIAC executive director, points out that “social media is now one of the top deliverables for dentists to get the message out there and attract new patients.” She elaborates on how quickly dental offices are embracing technology and trying to bring new technologies into their practices to help make the overall patient experience more positive, healthier and safer. “In my opinion, it has been the most important change over the last five years, and we see this change continuing,” says Lawson. “The technology is going to help the dentists and the industry manage what the new normal is now in the practice world.” Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian dentists show a continuing positive outlook on many aspects of operating their practices in the coming years. Some other key results: N ews and E vents 21 Issue 6 | 2020 |