Clinical Leadership

Dentists in Southern California are anticipating devastating financial blows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The OC Register.

The American Dental Association sent a letter March 24 to the CDC asking officials to release guidance on best practices for protecting dental staff and patients from COVID-19 transmission during emergency and urgent care treatment.

Thousands of dentists and hygienists in Tennessee have signed a petition asking to assist hospitals in screening patients for the coronavirus, according to local news station WKRN.

A Pennsylvania dentist says he feels “blindsided” by the health department’s decision to order all dental practices to end emergency visits unless their facility meets certain guidelines, according to local news station WTAJ.

Massachusetts dental hygienist and a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Dental Hygienist Association Katherine Soal says dental offices across the state have remained open, according to Boston.com.

State officials in Louisiana have asked dental offices to suspend all non-emergency services until April 16, according to myarklamiss.com.

Iowa City-based University of Iowa began notifying students and a patient at its dental clinic March 19 that a dental student had self-identified as testing positive for COVID-19.

Dental colleges have moved classes online, encouraged social distancing and are canceling sponsored travel and events to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a news release from the American Dental Association.

A dental student at Gainesville-based University of Florida College of Dentistry treated patients while sick with COVID-19, according to The Gainesville Sun.

The Michigan Dental Association recommended dental offices throughout the state to shut down for the next two weeks, beginning March 17, according to local NBC affiliate WOOD.