NMDA Journal Winter 2020-21

14  continued from page 13 Health Network Alert that amended the order to allow dental offices to be reopen and increase the amount of care they provided following the strict guidelines and requirements created by the Dental Advisory Team based on CDC and ADA guidance. The graphic shows a pattern nationally that significantly correlates to New Mexico’s timeline. Most offices reopened in mid-late May. Practices were required to begin at 50 percent capacity after acquiring two weeks of PPE. Offices generally continued at a somewhat reduced capacity throughout the summer peaking in late August. As pent- up demand created by the shutdown was taken care of, most offices began working at a gradually reducing capacity into November. Although expectations were that the six-month re-care schedule would again increase busyness, the radical resur- gence in the number of cases will likely have a negative impact on the amount of care being provided. Comparing busyness to a typical week prior to the pandemic, there was a steady increase until the middle of September with many practices beginning to slow down in the Fall. Note that the scale was changed in late September to create a more nuanced look at practices working above 50 percent capacity. Dentists in New Mexico remain mostly below the 95 percent volume. The majority of offices were between 75–95 percent dur- ing the first week in November prior to the statewide shelter-in-place order. One would expect collections to follow patient volume, which it does. Collections do trail volume particularly in the early weeks and follows a somewhat steeper curve with a more stable plateau in Septem- ber. Collections seem to be somewhat more Week of April 6 Week of April 20 Week of May 4 Week of May 18 Week of June 1 Week of June 15 Week of June 29 Week of July 13 Week of July 27 Week of August 10 Week of August 24 Week of September 7 Less than 5% 5-10% 11-24% 25-50% 51-75% 76% or more 68.8% 7.5% 15.6% 13.0% 76.9% 59.9% 13.1% 9.1% 9.1% 32.1% 11.0% 13.6% 20.2% 14.5% 8.4% 9.2% 31.0% 22.0% 29.0% 16.4% 6.2% 30.8% 40.9% 13.1% 30.5% 46.8% 11.1% 29.0% 52.4% 9.7% 27.0% 55.8% 24.9% 7.9% 59.6% 25.6% 7.6% 59.6% 24.6% 25.4% 13.6% 9.3% 14.9% 12.2% How does this week compare to what was typical of your practice, in terms of...* Volume of Total Collections Volume of Total Collections Week of September 21 Week of October 5 Week of October 19 Week of November 2 15.7% 25.3% 30.5% 20.4% 13.6% 6.6% 25.3% 30.4% 21.3% 15.9% 7.8% 25.5% 27.6% 19.7% 16.8% 8.0% 25.0% 27.3% 19.1% Less than 25% 25-50% 51-75% 76-85% 86-95% More than 95% *Note: This question did not appear to respondents who selected "Closed and not seeing any patients" in previous question. Week of November 2 NM* 0.0% 17.6% 5.9% 29.4% 35.3% 11.8% Less than 25% 25-50% 51-75% 76-85% 86-95% More than 95% Volume of November 2 Field Less than 25% 25–50% 51–75% 76–85% 86–95% More than 95% Total patient volume? 4.1% 8.2% 16.6% 25.0% 27.5% 18.6% Volume of total collections? 3.7% 8.0% 16.8% 25.0% 27.3% 19.1% New Mexico Dental Journal, Winter 2020-21 In November, reports of impending shortages of gloves and familiar disinfectants in the new year had practices concerned.