A DENTAL CLINIC’S RESPONSE

Photos by Emma Highfill: Rose Wheat Photography

When the American Dental Association and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment strongly recommended clinic closures in March, Gage Dental leadership acted fast to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program to cover payroll for its employees during the interim.

Gage Dental has five dentists and 42 employees, many of whom have been with the practice for years, including a few who have stayed more than 40.

Ami Price, administrative assistant, has 22 years of service.

“We’re a close-knit unit, and it was important to the doctors to take care of us,” she said.

Working with its local bank, Gage Dental submitted its application for a payroll loan only to have to resubmit it again the next morning following changes made to the program overnight.

Despite the rapid changes taking place to tweak the unprecedented program, Price said working with their bank was “a very easy process and they called to let us know we’d been approved quickly.”

Price said the clinic applied for the PPP loan April 2, received approval April 10 and obtained funding April 20.

“It was so gratifying to get employees off of unemployment after only four weeks and back to their regular salaries, especially since we didn’t know how long we’d be closed,” she said.

From March 19 until May 4 when the practice reopened, only Price and another employee routinely worked at the clinic, primarily handling business needs and canceling appointments. Aside from toothaches and other emergent conditions, dentists weren’t treating patients.

When the clinic’s co-workers returned to work, Price said the reunion was raucous and joyful as they caught up with one another.

Although the employees are all back and the daily schedule is once again full, COVID-19 precautions continue to protect the safety of patients and staff. Such measures include taking temperatures, asking a list of questions about symptoms and recent travel, having patients maintain social distancing, and providing hand sanitizer for use before patients are escorted to the treatment room.

“We’re accommodating our patients while still limiting who is in the building,” Price said. “At first, some patients were a little hesitant to return but most are glad to come in and get work done and see their hygienists and dentists.”