Today (4/28) Associated Press posted an article, Georgia Coronavirus Deaths Reach 1,000 Amid Openings. The article reports on coronavirus in Georgia and the impact Gov. Kemp’s order may have on the state, noting the order allows for resumption of elective procedures such as dental cleanings among others.

GDA member Dr. Peter Shatz, chair of GDA’s Innovation Task Force, did an excellent job instilling consumer confidence in visiting the dentist by relaying a key message that dentals offices have always followed the highest standards of disinfection and sterile techniques. The quote below appears in the article: 

Dr. Peter Shatz, chairman of the Georgia Dental Association’s innovation task force, said the practices where he works are screening patients by phone before they enter the office and checking their temperatures before putting them in the dentist’s chair.

Dentists and hygienists already wore gloves, masks and sometimes face shields. Shatz said now they will wear disposable gowns, plus surgical caps and shoe coverings.

“A restaurant is a little bit different than a dental practice where we can control the flow of patients,” Shatz said. “We have certain advantages over other businesses because we are good at keeping things clean.”

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On March 27, 2020, the CDC came out with a new recommendation for "dental facilities postpone elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent dental visits, and prioritize urgent and emergency visits and procedures now and for the coming several weeks."

Also, on March 26, 2020, the CDC related Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response, which also includes the recommendation to postpone elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent dental visits. The recommendations also recommend contacting patients prior to urgent/emergency dental treatment to screen the patient for respiratory illness over the phone. If the patient is showing symptoms of a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, then dental health care providers and medical providers “should work together to determine the appropriate facility for emergency treatment.”

For those that have had COVID-19, a person should have completed home isolation clearance before receiving emergency care, which is defined as:

• At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms, e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first occurred.

OR

• For individuals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms, at least 7 days have passed since the date of the first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test and have had no subsequent illness.