Impact of COVID-19 on oral health

Posted by: Dr. Fatema Ravat, General Manager-UDENZ

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of human wellbeing including oral health. Regular dental visits, and a healthy lifestyle are necessary for optimum oral hygiene maintenance, however during the pandemic this has not been undertaken by many. Furthermore, suspension of dental treatments during the lockdown periods added the extra fuel.

During the pandemic a large portion of the population adopted a sedentary lifestyle, and non-advisable drinking habits which have an impact on the oral health. Improper brushing regimens along with increased intake of sugar and carbohydrates have shown to be detrimental on oral health.

Increased intake of sugars and improper brushing techniques lead to accumulation of a sticky substance on the surface of the tooth called plaque. Long standing plaque becomes hard and is called as calculus which causes gum diseases. It leads to gum bleeding, bone loss causing food accumulation between the gums, and also movement of gums below from their original position called as gum recession.

Oral health has also declined during the pandemic due to the increased levels of stress in the population. Stress can be attributed to factors such as job redundancies, fear of isolation, safety of one's family, and changes in daily routine patterns for an unknown span of time. Stress leads to a lower immune system which in turn makes an individual more prone to infections of the mouth.

Stress plays a major role in initiating gums diseases such as bleeding gums, and unintentional grinding of teeth which further leads to muscle problems. If left untreated these can lead to further effects on the gums and can eventually lead to the tooth becoming mobile. This condition may become acute in patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and so on.

In these difficult times it becomes necessary to take care of oneself, brushing twice daily, flossing and using mouthwash if required, eating a well-balanced diet and also going for dental checkups which could be to the clinic or through online consultations, and these are some advice in order to maintain ones oral hygiene.

Tele dentistry- A new approach to dentistry

Posted by: Dr. Fatema Ravat, General Manager-UDENZ

Tele dentistry is a type of telecommunication in which clinical information and images are exchanged between the patients and dentists through an online platform. It helps make dentistry easily accessible and affordable and improves quality of patients.

It is beneficial both for the patients as well as the dentist. During the recent period when the pandemic had confined everyone to their houses and dental clinics were closed, the need for online dental consultations increased. Through tele-dentistry patients could have an online consultation with their dentists, if required medicines could be prescribed and in turn save money and time. In case of a dental emergency, such as an accidental loss of tooth especially seen in children, a dentist can guide the parents on what measures must be taken to monitor the child's health and how to transport the tooth safely to the clinic so that it can be reimplanted back in the child's mouth. Usually in case of complex dental procedures such as orthodontic treatments, implant procedures, patients generally seek a second opinion, and through an online video consultation this procedure can be easily carried out without the patient themselves visiting the dentist and quality of care is also not compromised making dentistry accessible and affordable.

Furthermore, tele-dentistry can play a vital role for parents of young children who are extremely anxious of visiting a dentist. An online video consultation with the dentist helps the children to familiarize themselves with the dentist and can give the parents the necessary treatment plan so that they can prepare the child for the visit. The dentist can also demonstrate the necessary procedure to be carried out on models, so that the child's fears are eliminated.

Tele dentistry is also useful in case of old aged patients who can get their dental consultation at their homes without having to undergo the hassle of travelling. Tele dentistry thus ensures quality dental care that would be available at a traditional brick and mortar clinic, saving patients time and money.

Strategic management of dental clinics during the pandemic

Posted by: Dr. Fatema Ravat, General Manager-UDENZ

Every successful business including a dental practice needs to be correctly aligned between the owner's goal and the environment in which it is operational. The dentist needs to understand the various internal and external factors and accordingly plan, implement and monitor a properly tailored business strategy for a successful organization.

Strategic planning process helps one to understand their practice and undertake the necessary steps in order to maximize patient care and long-term profitability with minimal stress. Incorporating a strategic practice initially can be time consuming but in the future it becomes fruitful.

But why is it required? Firstly because the world is going through the pandemic, the after effects of which will take years to recover from, the dental business has also been affected due to the shutdown of dental offices for months, and decreased patient flow for non-emergency procedures such as scaling, veneers and so on. Secondly, increased competition in the market along with changing demand for dentistry has made dentists re-think their traditional practices. Furthermore, bargaining power of the insurance companies has increased in the region which lead to further deductions of fees for dental treatments.

Strategic Management isn't just one principle, it is made up of number of processes and in order to initiate a strategic management process, Michael Porter's Five Force Analysis is widely used. This is a business model used to analyze the industry structure of a company as well its corporate strategy. These five forces measure competition, intensity, attractiveness and profitability. The first force is Threat of new entrants which helps to identify to what extent is a clinic impacted by new dentals clinics established. This depends on how stringent local regulations for establishment of new clinics are, initial capital required and the psychological shifting cost for the patients.

The second force is Threat of Substitute Service which is the availability of substitute service or products in the market, for example the home whitening kits available, whitening toothbrushes and pastes, or snap on smile; which is a cheaper option for veneers. Such services and products directly affect the cash generation services of the clinics, hence clinics need to increase their customer loyalty by providing extremely high quality of care, which in turn increases the customer switching cost.

The third force is Rivalry from existing competitors which is a major threat and main concern in today's era. This increases when there is an increase in number of clinics providing the same services and has the same target market. This can be tackled by adopting a differentiation strategy that is having a niche service or product and delivering it at its best. Along with that, collaboration and patient referral systems can also help reduce competition.

The fourth force is Bargaining Power of Buyers which are mainly the insurance companies in the case of dental clinics. Lately the insurance companies have an upper hand in the region as dental treatments aren't easily affordable which leads to cost reduction. Clinics can adopt installment payments or online payment options in order to overcome the insurance bargains.

Lastly is the Bargaining power of the suppliers which refers to the material suppliers, labs and so on. This should always be kept low as it is leads to maximum wastage in the clinic operations. Having multiple suppliers, long term agreements and appropriate pricing knowledge, can be helpful.

Based on this analysis a clinic can choose to adopt a differentiation strategy or cost leadership strategy or a niche strategy. However, it must be remembered that whatever strategy is used, dental care should always focus on quality, outcomes and effectiveness of the care provided.