Becker's Dental + DSO Review

5 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 2021 NO. 4 DENTAL PROFESSIONALS How the pandemic has affected dentists' income: 4 things to know By Gabrielle Masson G eneral practice dentists saw a 17.9 percent drop in net income in 2020 compared to 2019, according to an analysis from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. The analysis estimates the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on dentist net incomes using data from the ADA Health Policy Institute's Survey of Dental Practice. Three more report findings: 1. Compared to general practice dentists, specialist dentists saw smaller declines in both net income and hours worked. 2. Female dentists saw a larger drop in net income and hours worked than their male counterparts. The data clearly show that female dentists bore a more significant econom- ic toll than their male counterparts, the researchers wrote. 3. Income reduction was parallel to a drop in hours worked, with the decline in hours worked largest for female den- tists and older dentists. n Only 62% of pediatric dentists report being paid in full: 7 things to know By Gabrielle Masson O f all dentists, pediatric dentists were the least likely to report being paid in full for the week of Sept. 13, according to poll findings from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. Results come from the ADA's nationwide poll of more than 1,500 U.S. dentists for the week of Sept. 13. Dentists were asked "Are you being paid this week?" Below are the percentage of respondents who answered "Yes," per type of dentist. Endodontist: 100 percent Orthodontist: 100 percent Prosthodontist: 100 percent Dental surgical specialist: 100 percent General practice: 85.4 percent Periodontist: 66.7 percent Pediatric dentist: 62.5 percent n CMS appoints chief dental officer By Ariana Portalatin C MS has appointed Natalia Chalmers, DDS, PhD, as its first chief dental officer, the agency announced Aug. 30. Dr. Chalmers' new position is a vital role in the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to whole body care and re- ducing healthcare disparities, according to a news release. Dr. Chalmers currently serves as dean's faculty at the Uni- versity of Maryland Baltimore School of Dentistry. She most recently was a dental officer for the FDA and previously was a dental officer for CMS from August 2020 until March 2021. She also was formerly the director of analytics and publication for the DentaQuest Institute and a fellow of the National Institutes of Health. She earned her dental degree from the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the Medical University in Bulgaria and her doc- torate from the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She also earned a master's in health sciences from the Duke Univer- sity School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., and a certificate for drug development and regulatory sciences from the University of California at San Francisco. n

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