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 June 30, 2021, Governor Kemp issued two Executive Orders (EOs): SOE 06.30.21.01 and SOE 06.30.21.02. These EOs declare a State of Emergency (SOE) for Continued Economic Recovery. These EOs are unrelated and separate from previous orders related to the Public Health Emergency in Georgia, which expired at midnight on July 1, 2021.

The June 30 EOs extending the SOE for Continued Economic Recovery have three sections which specifically impact dentistry. These sections, which are referenced below, are in effect until 11:59 PM on July 30, 2021, unless renewed by the Governor:

1. The “Georgia Board of Dentistry shall be authorized to issue temporary licenses to dental applicants who graduated in 2020 from an accredited dental college and have yet to take their licensing exam due to said exam being postponed or cancelled as a result of COVID-19.” Meaning that dental graduates may receive a full license to work under direct supervision of a licensed supervising dentist during the period of temporary licensure under guidelines issues by the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
2. Georgia-licensed dentists may continue to voluntarily administer the COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health.
3. The requirement that dental licensure exams be “performed on human subjects or on manikin-based typodont using dental virtual-haptic machine simulation is hereby suspended to the extent necessary to allow dental license applicants to submit results from CRDTS or ADEX manikin-based typodont examination, conducted with or without the use of virtual haptic machine simulation, taken on or after January 1, 2021 to the Georgia State Board of Dentistry.” This means that a patient or manikin-based CRDTS or ADEX licensure exam taken on or after January 1, 2021 is acceptable for full, unrestricted dental licensure in Georgia, as long as all other requirements are met, until the expiration of the SOE on July 30, 2021 at 11:59pm, unless renewed by the Governor. This directive is a carry-over from the now expired Public Health Emergency EO.

Please contact Emma Paris at 404.636.7553x189 if you have additional questions.