Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Turkish Private Practice Dentists’ Economic Well-Being

Abstract

Summary Background/Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health concern. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only health implications but also important social, economic, and political consequences. Dental practices have currently cancelled elective procedures and restricted services to the provision of emergency dental care in order to prevent transmission of COVID-19, which has had serious financial implications. Although several reports about the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been prepared, no study has analyzed the potential impact of a pandemic on the economy of private-practice dentists. In this context, the purpose of this study is to determine how the COVID-19 has shaped the economic behavior of Turkish private-practice dentists and study the underlying mechanisms. Material and Method: A total of 312 private practice dentists were included in the study. The researchers developed a closed-ended questionnaire that contained 10 questions and was divided into three parts. The first part captured demographic information (age, gender, and professional experience of dentists). The second part measured the economic effects of the pandemic. The third part explored the dentists’ economic behavior in the post-pandemic period. Results: Over half (52.6%) of the dentists stated that during the pandemic, they only cared for patients in emergency situations. Most (97.4%) of the dentists stated that the pandemic affected their economic situation negatively, and 66.7% of dentists stated that they could not meet their routine clinical expenses during the pandemic. In the post-pandemic period, 52.6% of dentists are considering increasing their treatment fees, and 19.2% of dentists are considering dismissing some of their employees for economic reasons. Conclusions: The significant limitation of clinical and surgical activities in private dental practice caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a very significant negative effect on private-practice dentists’ economic well-being.