recommendation to postpone elective dental procedures

Update –> As of March 22, 2020, dental offices in NYS are only permitted to deliver emergency services. According to the New York State mandate, dentists providing treatment other than emergency services in their office will be in violation of Governor Cuomo’s executive order and can be subject to a fine.

Out of concern for the health of patients and staff, the American Dental Association (ADA) is recommending that dentists postpone elective procedures for the next three weeks. This response to the COVID-19 pandemic is explained on the ADA website page dedicated to the current outbreak of novel coronavirus.

The ADA emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions and playing a role in protecting members of our communities. It says, “In order for dentistry to do its part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the ADA recommends dentists nationwide postpone elective procedures for the next three weeks. Concentrating on emergency dental care will allow us to care for our emergency patients and alleviate the burden that dental emergencies would place on hospital emergency departments.”

To keep dentists abreast of the evolving situation, the New York State Dental Association (NYSDA) has compiled NYS Health Law alerts and other resources for the response to COVID-19. You can access these at the NYSDA website here.

For the latest medical information on COVID-19, please refer to the CDC’s Situation Summary.

Related Posts:

CDC Guidelines on Injection Safety in Dental Settings

It is important to review workflows and procedures regularly to prevent office and facility standards from getting lax. The CDC summary contains a set of nine key recommendations for dental settings. MLMIC encourages dental health providers to consult the list of “do’s” and “do nots” for a refresher in safe injection practices.

Read More