The American Dental Association Board of Trustees has adopted an interim policy stating dentistry is essential healthcare to help guide advocacy amid the pandemic.
Governors could again limit dental services to urgent and emergency care, which may negatively affect dentists and the oral health of the public, said Chad Gehani, DDS, president of the ADA. The new policy says dentistry is essential because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing and treating oral diseases.
It advises that the ADA use the term "essential dental care" when communicating with legislators, regulators, policymakers and the media.
"Using the term 'elective dental procedures' implies oral healthcare is optional and diminishes the evidence validating that oral health is an integral component of overall health," Dr. Gehani said.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have already acknowledged dentistry as an essential service. The ADA will ask that other state agencies recognize the dental workforce when designating its essential workforce during public health emergencies, according to the new interim policy.