CDC 4/8 Update & Information
April 9, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the  Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response   to include guidance for emergency clinical care   of patients with known or suspected COVID-19. This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and CDC will continue to update this guidance as more information becomes available. 

CDC continues to  recommend (4/8) that dental facilities postpone elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent dental visits, and prioritize emergency visits and procedures now and for the coming several weeks. 

CDC Guidance for Providing Dental Care During COVID-19
Updated: April 8, 2020

In order to protect staff and preserve personal protective equipment and patient care supplies, as well as expand available hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that 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 . This aligns with recommendations from the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) to postpone non-emergency and elective dental procedures, as well the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s guidance  that all non-essential dental exams and procedures be postponed until further notice.

For emergency clinical care of patients with known or suspected COVID-19, dental providers should follow the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response as well as the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings . If a dental facility is not able to follow this interim guidance, dental personnel and medical providers should work together to determine an appropriate facility for treatment. The urgency and need for a procedure are decisions based on clinical judgement and should be made on a case-by-case basis.
This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation and CDC will continue to update this guidance as more information becomes available.

CDC urges providers to be familiar with the information on CDC’s COVID-19 website. Specific information is available for Healthcare Professionals , including a Healthcare Professional Preparedness Checklist , instructions on Evaluating and Reporting Persons Under Investigation (PUI) , Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure Guidance , and What Healthcare Personnel Should Know . Dental healthcare personnel can also consider signing up for communications from CDC’s Health Alert Network , which is CDC’s primary method of sharing information about urgent public health incidents with healthcare providers.

UPCOMING ADA WEBINARS:


SFDS’ VIVA ONLINE
VIVA Online now offering SFDS members the California Infection Control Course and California Dental Practice Act. Remember, this is free for SFDS active members. Check them out. Have dental team members that need the courses? For $25 per team member (a $50 discount off the $75 a year subscription), your team members can complete their license renewals obligations, too. Contact Rachel at membership@sfds.org for more information.


CDA COVID-19 WEBINAR SERIES
CDA is offering a series of webinars to provide members with information to navigate this time of uncertainty. Over the next couple of weeks, CDA will offer information and resources twice a week, typically Tuesday and Friday mornings at 10 am , depending on speaker availability. Registration is limited to the first 3,000 people. A recording will be available for later viewing. Register here


With our warmest regards and hope for better days...
Quick-links from the SFDS COVID-19 News Page
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