Coronavirus Conversations

1 year after the pandemic shut down practices, dentists still head to DT message boards for answers and support

Months-long shutdowns. Aerosol transmission concerns. And now, more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic first upended how dental professionals were able to provide patient treatment, new challenges and questions continue to erupt, including: Should dentists demand staffers be vaccinated as terms of employment? After dental schools were forced to abandon in-person training, will students really be capable of treating patients right after graduation? Who should pursue Round 2 and Round 3 funding?

Throughout the pandemic, Townies have posted their questions, concerns and other conversations on Dentaltown’s “All Things Coronavirus” message board forum, which as of early February was home to more than 1,900 topics.

The message boards’ immediacy makes them a great place to find the most current information, which explains why the post “PPP Round 2—Best Details I’ve Found So Far” received more than 8,400 views in its first 16 hours. They’re also ideal to get information and support from peers who’ve found themselves in the same position that you are, such as in the post “Coronavirus— Who Is No Longer Working?,” which has racked up than 1,000 posts since it was created last March.

In this special section, we featured three recent message boards linked below to illustrate the wide range of topics being constantly discussed online. To dive into the topics or to post your own, head to dentaltown.com/messageboard and click “All Things Coronavirus.”

Bonus for Getting Vaccinated

Instead of forcing staffers to get their shots, would a cash incentive work better?

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Anybody Using Ultrasonics Yet?

A Townie wonders whether his hygienists should still be sticking to hand-scaling in an effort to reduce aerosol production

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How Has COVID Impacted Dental School Education?

One Townie has been polling dental students about their experience so far, which leads to a discussion about whether these new dentists will truly be prepared to treat patients after graduating

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