A harbinger of hard times? My dentist's office is closed on some Mondays now.

[raccoon]

I just found that out yesterday. I had gone by the office and it was closed, and someone in a nearby office told me they were closed some Mondays.

He is a good dentist, by the way, good bedside manner, nice staff, so it isn't because people are getting fed up and going to someone else.

I suspect it's because business has fallen off. I know this is just anecdotal, but has anyone else seen this? Or is anyone else employed in the medical/dental/veterinary field, and has experienced this? Because people are having to cut back somewhere.

[barbtries]

1. i doubt that it's related to money

he probably just wants more 3-day weekends. ask the office when you get a chance.

[Lerkfish]

2. its possible. If you lose your dental insurance, you cut back on routine and

elective dentistry, so it could be affecting the dentist's appointments.

OR

sometimes a very profitable doctor's office will leave one day dark for the doc to put in 18 holes.

hard to know without more info.

[dysfunctional press]

3. he may be doing very well, and has earned some extra time off.

:shrug:

[Bonhomme Richard]

4. If he is like the Dentist my wife works for...

he is out golfing.

[MissB]

5. My dentist is only open 3.5 days per week.

Has been for more than a decade. She reached some point in her career where she didn't feel the need to work so much. Kind of a pain to work around her schedule, but she is a great dentist.

[MaryEllen9399]

6. my eye doctor has always been closed 1 day a week

in the 20+ years I've been going to him...but he makes it up by being open on Saturdays.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Malpractice Insurance

I'm sure a lot of this has to do with insuance. Either he isn't the member of the right HMO or PPO (almost all doctors have been coralled these days) or that the cost of his insurance premiums have climbed (along with rising costs in maintaining the office) that call for the cut-backs.

No doubt there's also a lot of people who no longer can afford regular dental care (I went 20 years without much care and/or coverage)...few companies offer dental in their plans and then it's only for the most basic care. Last week, my wife had work done...4 cavities filled...and the price was well over $1,000. I can't see too many families being able to afford this.

My father practiced for over 50 years...and in his last years he felt the squeeze of the insurance companies...always questioning his diagnosis and trying to "play god" with patient care. I'm sure it's gotten worse in recent years as health care costs continue to soar...and with it so do insurance premiums...both for the consumer and for the doctors.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. probably not, if he has been in practice in same location for a long time

his equipment expenses are paid off or paid down, kids may be done with college, etc.

also, since it is only SOME Mondays...if he is open some Saturdays, maybe the closed Mondays are the ones following the open Saturdays.

Dentists around here are big on the long weekend; it seems to be Friday that is the preferred day off. Orthodontists, however are open on Saturdays since most of their patients are in school, so they take Mondays.