Utah leads the United States in reopening dental clinics despite ongoing Covid-19 pandemic

While dental device manufacturer’s focus on navigating the drastic reduction in sales due to Covid-19, dentists in the United States (US) are beginning to lobby for the reopening of their clinics in eager response to a flattening curve, with Utah’s governor Gary Herbert leading the charge with the full reopening of Utah dental clinics.

Despite the tenuous infection rate forecasts, US dentists in other states have formed coalitions dedicated to bringing patients back in for annual examinations and elective procedures. Currently, most dentists are limited to performing only emergency procedures, but many in the United States believe that with the proper protective gear, patients and dentists can remain safe despite the invasive nature of dental procedures.

Most major players in the dental devices industry, like Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., are still reconciling their unexpected losses and are likely to announce their final Q1 results in mid-May. While heavy losses are expected to continue throughout Q2, new pushback from patients may lead to earlier openings for dental clinics. Citizen protests, lobbying, and soft approval from the president may allow dental clinics to reopen before the end of Q2, especially if more states follow Utah’s example. Utah is employing a Covid-19 tracking app and enforcing new safety regulations for clinics and could pave the way for the national reopening of dental clinics and the reinvigoration of the US dental devices industry. However, with the infectious and deadly nature of Covid-19, they could also be paving the way for the second wave of infections.