The 2020 Pandemic May Update from the American Dental Assn.

 

May 4, 2020.  The following is the most recent Update from the  Alabama Board of Dental Examiners (My Boss) in response to the April 28th Directive by Governor Kay Ivey concerning our role as dentists in this Coronavirus Worldwide Pandemic.   While it's certainly prudent to be aware and take all the precautions you can, please realize that we - as part of your dental team, as friends, family, and colleagues - understand that what President Roosevelt said on December 8, 1941 (right after Pearl Harbor) is as true today as it was then: "The only thing to fear is Fear itself."  Don't be afraid.  Be Prudent. Be Safe.  Follow best practices for staying healthy.

 

APRIL 30, 2020: 

 

As of May 1st the Alabama Dental Board has allowed us to resume performing normal dental procedures.  I say "normal" but in reality we will be anything but "business as usual"!!!

 

We're cognizant of the fact that dentistry is at the forefront of occupational risk and will be slowly rolling out our working hours with a goal to being back to near full time hours by the end of May.

 

We will be enacting extraordinary prodocols and procedures to ensure your health and safety... as well as ours.  Dental hygiene appointments will begin the second week of May.

 

If you would like to reschedule a previously cancelled procedure, or if you would like to schedule a new procedure, please contact us at 251-943-0004, and we will be happy to assist you.

 

During the initial phase of re-opening we will be working just two or 3 days per week, and limiting patient appointments and in-office visits.

 

Walk-ins will not be allowed.

 

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

 

Further notes (the fine print):

 

We're currently (as of May 11th) electing to open just a few days only as we allow people  to leave the shelter of their homes and integrate into the community with the goal of maintaining a safe working environment for our staff and safe treatment area for our patients.    We are closed all other times.

 

Any emergency procedures performed during this unprecedented crisis on days which we are not scheduled  will incur a charge for "After Hours" visitation and for an "emergency" visit.

 

We ask that any family member accompanying you to your dental office visit to please stay in your vehicle while you are having treatment and not congregate in our hallway.  Our spacious waiting room has been closed in the interim.  Parents of minors are of course exempt from this request keeping in mind thatyou practice social distancing.

 

 We'll see you soon!

 

Dr. Dentremont.

 

Posted to dentists on March 30, 2020:

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From the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners (my Boss):

 

Covid - 19 Message from Dr McIlwain, President of the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama <bdeal@dentalboard.org> Sun 3/29/2020 7:54 PM

To: All Alabama Dentists and Hygienists

From: Mark R. McIlwain, DMD, MD, President, Board of Dental Examiners of  Alabama
Subject: Clarification of Governor of Alabama and Alabama Department of Public  Health March 27 Order

Dear (Alabama Dental) Licensee:

First, the March 27 order, posted on our website at www.dentalboard.org, is a public  health order that is mandatory and enforceable by law.

Second, the Order at provision 7.a. clearly states that all elective dentistry is to  stop.  Emergency procedures to alleviate severe pain, dangerous swelling, or  infection with the potential to necessitate hospital care are allowed. It is up to the  judgement of the licensed professional which cases require emergency  treatment. Clear, recorded justification of a patient’s necessity for care and  subsequent care is required. Dentistry’s ability to keep patients out of the hospital  during this pandemic requires good judgment and conscientious care. The use and  preservation of proper personal protective equipment is in the patient’s and staff’s  best interest.

Third, the Order’s provision 7.b. is not an instruction to continue with an ongoing  elective dental or orthodontic treatment plan. 7.b. refers to a plan of treatment such  as a cancer diagnosis, placing a port for IV access, or ongoing chemotherapy. It is  referring to a treatment plan that if delayed will create a threat to the patient’s health  and life.

 

(Fourth), Dentistry does not need to be a vector for the spread of Covid-19.  We have limited PPE and must proceed accordingly. The CDC and OSHA have labeled the  aerosol created with the intra-oral use of a dental hand piece very high risk. The 
very nature of the practice of dentistry makes it virtually impossible to practice  while complying with social distancing. As the risk/benefit ratio of various dental  encounters and procedures evolves over the course of this pandemic, the Dental  Board will advocate for the return of those privileges.

 

 Each member of the Dental Board is in the same situation as every other practitioner, with the inability to see  patients and lost income, and we are diligently seeking solutions.

 

At our next  meeting, the Dental Board will consider modifications to current CE requirements in  the light of the many cancellations of in-person CE made necessary by social  distancing. We ask that during this crisis you act in such a way as to be part of the  solution and not add to the problem.

Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama | 2229 Rocky Ridge Rd., Birmingham, AL 35216

 

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Your well-being is important to your dentist and dental staff. That’s why infection control procedures are in place at your dental office.

What about the new coronavirus?

With so many news stories, it’s understandable to be concerned about the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

 

Please know that the precautions your dentist already takes every day to prevent the spread of infection in his or her practice also helps prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

If you are ill with flu-like symptoms, you should reschedule your appointment.

 

If you or someone you are in close contact with have recently traveled to one of the countries or states with large outbreaks of COVID-19 (New York, Louisiana, Seattle, New Jersey, Florida, China, Italy, Iran, South Korea) or if you have been exposed to someone else who was diagnosed with COVID-19 or who was quarantined as a precaution, wait 14 days until you see your dentist to make sure you have not caught the coronavirus.

 

If you are healthy, there’s no need to cancel your regularly scheduled dental appointment, subject to government emergency regulations or public health mandates.

 

It’s important to know that the majority of people infected with the coronavirus experience flu-like symptoms and then recover. Most people do not develop serious respiratory complications.

 

Those most at risk of becoming seriously ill are elderly people and those with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease, among others.

 

Children, thus far, have been largely unaffected.

 

Here are a few things you can do on your own to help keep yourself and those around you healthy:

 

• Wash your hands frequently, or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent ethyl alcohol.

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• Avoid touching your face, eyes or nose to reduce the spread of germs.

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• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow. Infections like the coronavirus spread through the tiny droplets in coughs and sneezes.

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• Stay home if you feel sick. If you have flu-like symptoms or otherwise feel unwell, stay home and rest. Call your dentist to reschedule your appointment for a later date. This will reduce the risk of spreading your illness.

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Need more information? Click this link to Visit the CDC’s website for the latest information on COVID-19.