The Great Debate UK

from Commentaries:

The recession is tough on teeth

The U.S. economy isn't giving dentists many reasons to smile yet, an annual survey of the profession by JPMorgan has found.

84 percent of dentists said the economy was having a negative or strongly negative impact on their practices. 74 percent said they think the economy will continue to weigh on their businesses 12 months out.

This economic caution could continue to put pressure on big-ticket dental equipment sales, JPMorgan said. As a result, the latest in 3D X-ray equipment is a hard sell, despite its key selling point of being able to show a patient's bone density.

The survey only talked to 100 dentists, but at least there's some baseline comparisons. JPMorgan talked to similar numbers of endo-, ortho and perio-dontists and other tooth doctors in 2008 and 2006.