As we review what we have learned from other countries and other provinces, it is quite apparent that dental offices will be allowed to open before Covid-19 is eliminated as a risk to patients and health care workers. Reopening our offices will likely be subject to several new requirements that public health agencies will have … Read more
Dentists returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic may be thinking about purchasing items to help sanitize or reduce dental aerosols, but many products currently lack research demonstrating they are effective. For instance, information is limited on how best to manage air flow in dental settings to mitigate risk. “All we can say is that … Read more
Dentists are calling on the Trump administration to provide them with coronavirus tests before reopening, arguing that conditions in dental offices make patients and staff more susceptible to exposure. The American Dental Association (ADA), which has more than 163,000 members, wants the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to supply testing kits to dentists … Read more
Dalhousie University’s dean of dentistry expects dental clinics and offices to be able to reopen sometime next week for urgent and emergency cases, with routine dental care in Nova Scotia resuming several weeks after that. A public health order shut down dental offices in the province in March — other than eight sites for emergency care — … Read more
As more businesses reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, dental practices are considering enhanced measures to clean their facilities and equipment, as well as protect their patients and staff. One of these tactics involves the use of ultraviolet light to sanitize the air, surfaces and equipment in dental offices. Disinfecting with UV light products is widely used in … Read more
At Barry Dolman’s Côte-des-Neiges dental clinic, contractors are working around the clock putting in glass doors to seal off his two examination rooms and installing a new ventilation system that will vacuum the air from around patients’ mouths and pump it outside. Many dentists who have open-concept operatory layouts are resorting to using plastic tarps … Read more
As dental offices start to reopen across the country, the guidelines vary from province to province but the concerns remain the same: having the right protocols and enough protective gear to safely see patients, and seeing enough of them so they can keep the office running. “It is going to be a little slower,” said Dr. … Read more
In emails blasted to their patients, America’s dentists are announcing their return from the coronavirus lockdown. “WE ARE OPEN,” was the all-caps heading for one email from a dentist in Miami. “We are beyond ready to get back to work and see everyone that we have missed so much!” said another, from a dentist in Washington, D.C. … Read more
As you carryout preparations for your return to dentistry, i.e. manage your checklist, order your PPE, master donning and doffing technique, etc., don’t lose sight of your team. Anticipating and addressing the needs of your team members and positively leading them through change will make for a smoother transition back to business. As leaders, it is critical … Read more
Quebec received a double-dose of good news on Wednesday. Along with easing restrictions of outdoor gatherings, public health has greenlit the reopening of body care practices throughout the province, excluding the Greater Montreal area and Joliette. Quebec health minister Danielle McCann, along with Quebec’s Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, and public health advisor, Dr. Richard Massé, … Read more
Two months after their clinics were forced to close, with no revenue coming in and bills still needing to get paid, dentists are “eager” to get the green light from the province to be able to reopen their practices and get back on their feet. Since they were mandated to close their clinics mid-March to … Read more
Alberta dentists who want to offer a full range of procedures at the beginning of phase one of the province’s COVID-19 relaunch will have to do so without dental hygienists. The governing bodies representing dental hygienists and dentists are giving their members different instructions when it comes to what procedures they can perform as businesses … Read more