Oral hygiene is one of the most trending topics of 2021. With the pandemic still looming behind us, experts have reinforced proper oral hygiene practices time and again. This is only natural since COV-Sars spreads majorly through aerosols and droplets.
For students of dentistry and other fresh medical graduates, this period might prove to be quite frustrating as their pursuits of getting hands-on experience and setting up a clinic might have gotten delayed. However, with the pandemic reducing in impact and countries easing the lockdown, their dreams can be invigorated once again. Many services offer top-notch building and dental equipment for such start-ups at subsidised rates.
The dental workforce in Australia is one of the most aptly employed fields. There are over 20,000 dentists as of 2020, out of which 91% are engaged in their field. The Dental Board of Australia with the Australian Bureau of Statistics report that at least 90% of Aussies have experienced tooth decay, and 33% of children get cavities very early on. This is why health insurers paid around 30 million for dental security!
Why is oral care critical?
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, oral care has always been prioritised since it is the most vulnerable aspect in the transmission spectrum. This is when people communicate with one another daily and come in contact with numerous pathogens! Primary dental care like brushing and flossing regularly, gargling with salted water and eating good food are suggested as tips worldwide to preserve oral hygiene.
However, one crucial aspect that people skip is visiting their dentists regularly. People tend to visit dentists only when there is a tooth extraction or root canal. But it is imperative to know that most of these procedures are due to cavities and decay, which are caused due to poor oral hygiene! There are around 60 dentists for every 100,000 people in Australia! These dentists offer excellent treatment at friendly prices as well.
Setting up a clinic
For new practitioners, setting up their clinic is not just for work, but it is also the start of their professional reputation. It is also a significant financial investment as newly opened clinics take some time to become popular around the neighbourhood. Here are a few ways one can upscale their clinic:
- Purchase the property in a prominent area: Although it might be high priced, a clinic in a cultural hotspot that attracts many people might make acquiring popularity and trust relatively easy. Many places in the suburbs of New South Wales are offered at lower rates at the end of the financial year.
- While buying the dental equipment needed for the clinic, ensure to check for the quality and warranty of the products: Even a new dental clinic will need intraoral scanners, Durr suction systems, dental chairs and amalgamators. So it is vital to ensure only the products of the best quality are present. Instead of buying everything at once, buying the most necessary equipment at high-quality month-by-month might be a sound financial strategy.
- Make and print out posters wherever necessary: When a clinic is new, the early customers will primarily be children who come for milk tooth extraction. To sustain their attention and appeal to them, ensure that there are a lot of fun posters promoting the necessity of dental care. Informative signs on brushing, flossing techniques, or developing an oral care routine can also be used for adult patients.
