Dentists

About 79 percent of dentists said their practices are closed except for emergencies, while 17 percent said their practices are completely shut down, according to a poll by the ADA Health Policy Institute for the week of April 20.

Here's the latest roundup of dentists making headlines.

The Oklahoma Board of Dentistry is supporting Gov. Kevin Stitt's three-phase plan to reopen the state's economy and will not be extending any restrictions on dental practices beyond April 30, according to KFOR.

On April 23, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Health Commissioner Steven Stack, MD, outlined guidelines for allowing non-urgent healthcare services to resume in the state, including dental offices, according to local CBS affiliate WLKY. 

A Pennsylvania dentist received a nearly nine-month sentence for eight counts of unlawful drug distribution through illegitimate prescriptions, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

Since March 16, New Hampshire has had the highest increase in unemployment insurance claims, according to a WalletHub report.

A Virginia dentist has experienced about a 90 percent decline in business, though emergency dental patients seem happy to leave the house for treatment, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Senate passed a $484 billion aid package April 21 that renews funding for a small-business loan program, boosts aid for hospitals and expands testing for COVID-19.

Greenwood Village, Colo.-based ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers has joined an effort led by the School of Dentistry at University of California, Los Angeles, to address the national shortage of personal protective equipment.

Only 42 percent of Americans believe their dentist is prepared to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at their office, according to a survey commissioned by the North American Dental Group.