In three decades of practice, Dr. Larry Templin, a midtown dentist, has weathered bad economic times. But not since the early days of his career has he seen times so slow.
Last month, he took an unscheduled day off – in midweek – because his dental chair would have been mostly empty. Now, he's talking about more routinely cutting back his hours.
"I don't think anybody will tell you that there's been a time that's slower than it is right now," Templin said. "Part of it is definitely the economy. Maybe just the uncertainty."
Oral health is crucial to overall health, studies show, but when money's a concern, folks often avoid doing anything they think they don't absolutely have to do, according to dentists.
"I've taken a 10 percent hit, on mostly elective-care and cash-payment patients," said Dr. Gabriella Rasi, a Carmichael dentist.
It's not a big enough hit, she said, to warrant reducing hours. Besides, she said, "I've got employees and I can't cut back on their hours. It wouldn't be fair."
Rasi calls herself fortunate because she has a well-established practice in a stable community – unlike some dentists who might have recently moved into fast-growing suburbs that have been hard hit by the housing downturn.
Patients who need urgent care or routine procedures, such as cleanings, are still keeping their appointments at Rasi's practice. But "people are being more cautious with elective procedures," she said.
Hygienists, dental labs and suppliers are also feeling the pinch.
"Some hygienists say they have fewer hours than they had before, but there's no clear statistics yet," said Noel Kelsh, who heads the statewide dental hygienist association.
"Unfortunately, it's one of the first things people cut from their budgets, especially if they don't really understand how important oral health is," said Kelsh, a Moorpark hygienist.
The saving grace? It's late in the year, when folks are trying to use up their benefits before the end of the year – or before they lose their jobs, Kelsh said.
On the other hand, those whose benefits have already run out may have no choice but to wait until next year for another dental visit.
The California Dental Association says evidence of a slowdown is purely anecdotal, but the trend is clear.
"While we don't have any kind of hard data, we do hear that there is a slowdown in many practices," said Cathy Mudge, the CDA's chief administrative officer.
Nationally, 57 percent of the population has some form of dental insurance, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. In California, 73 percent of residents have dental insurance, or 26.7 million people.
Dental insurance benefits vary widely.
"But it's also the people with good benefits that are not going to the dentist," said Templin, the midtown dentist.
"The state of California has some of the best benefits there are. But an increasing percentage of state employees are just not going to their dentists," he said, based on his own experience and that of other dentists.
Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067.
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