In the wake of COVID-19, managing patient emergencies while recommendations continually change
This past week has been a whirlwind; when most of us left our offices last week, we looked forward to an enjoyable, restful weekend to prepare for another uneventful week ahead. Unfortunately for most of us, we were given the “strong recommendation” to close our offices and treat only patients with dental emergencies. Without much time to waste, dental practice owners had to decide when to close their offices, how staff will be managed during this time, and how we will manage dental emergencies when they arise.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has defined what exactly constitutes a dental emergency (view what they have to say here) and which types of procedures can wait until the office reopens. There are some emergent procedures that would likely result in aerosolization of pathogens into the environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has offered guidance on how to manage infection control and PPE during this time. (View those guidelines here.).
Recommendations and guidelines seem to be changing continually and it is challenging for dental professionals to remain safe. The CDC has been instrumental in sharing guidelines, recommendations, and practices to keep patients and practitioners safe. DentistryIQ.com is committed to being a resource for all dental professionals to provide the latest education and updates as we charter these unknown waters together. After all, we are all in the same boat!
Visit the DentistryIQ COVID-19 Resource Center here for the latest developments, and watch my introduction to the video series here.
