For Further Information Contact:
Reginald Fields
North American Dental Group
FieldsR@nadentalgroup.com
614-537-7943
Pittsburgh, PA (July 22, 2020) – A majority of Americans surveyed say they are comfortable visiting a dentist and plan to schedule a dental cleaning or routine check-up before the end of this year, according to a new study commissioned by the North American Dental Group (NADG), a leading U.S. Dental Services Organization.
The survey, conducted July 8-12, also found most respondents believe their dentist has taken necessary steps to keep patients safe and that the clinicians know how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at their dental practices. The survey, which included more than 2,000 respondents, was a follow-up to a study commissioned by NADG in April and reveals a dramatic shift in patient comfort levels with dentist visits despite the ongoing pandemic and stay-at-home orders across the country. According to the most recent survey:
• 60-percent of respondents said they are comfortable visiting a dentist for a routine cleaning or check-up, more than double the percentage in April when just 29-percent said they were comfortable;
• 64-percent believe their dentist knows how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, that’s up from 42-percent in April;
• 65-percent plan to schedule and visit a dentist within the next six months.
“We have completely revised our in-office safety and sterilization procedures and redoubled our efforts to ensure a visit to the dentist is safe for both patients and our teammates,” said Dr. Andrew Matta, Chief Medical Officer at NADG and a practicing dentist. “I am encouraged that a majority of Americans are recognizing these efforts and are more comfortable visiting a dentist now than when this pandemic first began.”
The study also revealed that a majority of patients are interested in knowing what precautions dentists are taking in their offices to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19 screenings, medical and safety cautions, and adherence to the containment procedures issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were the topics of most interest.
“As a practicing dentist, I take great pride in knowing patients trust dentists, especially during this uncertain time. Dentists are healthcare professionals and we are trained in infectious disease control,” said Dr. Matta, an NADG founder. “We understand how to deliver quality care in the safest manner possible.”
Advanced infection control procedures and diagnostic screenings are just two of the initiatives NADG, led by its advisory board of doctor partners known as the Professional Dental Alliance (PDA), has initiated in response to COVID-19. NADG, supported by the PDA, created an innovative “Essential-Treatment Only” approach early in the pandemic, a model that has been broadly adopted within the industry. NADG has also spearheaded the crusade to expand the scope of services for dentists to administer COVID-19 tests and help the nation increase testing capacity, a critical step in reopening the country.
Across the country, the NADG team put communities first during the COVID-19 crisis. From donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare systems to making the COVID-19 dental resources website available to dental practices across the globe, NADG has been focused on doing its part to help fight this public health pandemic.
The first survey commissioned by NADG was conducted April 3-6, 2020. This latest survey was conducted in partnership with Engine’s CARAVAN Omnibus. Combined, the surveys drew more than 3,200 total sample adults 18+ in the United States, with a margin of error of +/- 2.75 percent.
About North American Dental Group
North American Dental Group (NADG), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was cofounded by Ken Cooper and Dr. Andrew Matta in 2008. NADG was created to transform the dental experience for its patients, clinicians, and its support teams and today consists of a network of over 230 dental practices in 15 states. The values of maintaining an emotionally intelligent approach, being thoughtful educators, and displaying a healthy bravado fuel our day-to-day patient care and operations. These founding values are alive and well as NADG celebrates its pioneer spirit by solidifying its partnership with Jacobs Holding AG.