Familiarize yourself with the conversations surrounding the 'COVIDfied future' of dentistry and their impact on running a dental practice. Mask wearing for patients is not viable since their mouths need to be open for any procedures. Since patients are the primary source of infection for dentists, the rules and procedures for dentists to wear protective gear only make performing their job more difficult. Additional steps for disinfection and higher standards for changing tools add significant time to each appointment, leaving less room for the number of patients to be treated in a day. All of these equates to a lower number of patients and higher expenses while generating significantly less income.

Therefore, your interviewers are looking for assurances you have a thorough understanding of how global health concerns are impacting the dental industry and whether knowing about this impact on the industry will sway your commitment to your career path and educational pursuits.