‘It’s really the Wild West out there.’ Your trip to the dentist is about to get more painful — but not for the reason you might think

Published: May 13, 2020 at 12:22 p.m. ETBy

Elisabeth Buchwald – Article found on MarketWatch.

Dentists will likely be feeling the pain too during your next visit.

After losing over a month’s worth of revenue following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide only emergency services, dentists are eager to see their patients again.

But doing so comes at a hefty cost.

To lure patients back and ensure his own safety as well as his staff’s, Anthony Ceccacci, a dentist and owner of Madison Avenue Smiles, a New York City-based dental practice, said he’s gone on a financial limb with scant guidance from health authorities.

For $85, he’s offering finger-stick antibody tests. He’s also asking all of his patients to rinse their mouths with iodine prior to being seen.

‘At this time, the ADA does not have a formal policy on antigen testing.’— Matthew Messina, a Columbus, Ohio-based dentist who serves as a spokesperson for the American Dental Association

He’s spent nearly $35,000 on disinfectant equipment such as oral high-speed aerosol evacuation units, ozone generators and ultraviolet lights.

Read the full article HERE.