The American Dental Association has released interim guidance for dentists on how to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission before, during and after treating dental emergencies.
The ADA Interim Guidance for Minimizing Risk of COVID-19 Transmission covers dentist and dental team preparation; screening for COVID-19 status and triaging for dental treatment; instructions for patient arrival; infection control standards and COVID-19 transmission precautions, including personal protective equipment; clinical technique recommendations; steps to follow after suspected, unintentional exposure; environment disinfection between patients; post-operative instructions for patients; and steps to minimize exposure to others when going home after a workday.
To simplify the process, the corresponding algorithms illustrate the following: triaging patients for emergency and urgent dental care, screening to identify COVID-19 infection for emergency and urgent dental patients, and minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission for emergency and urgent dental patients and health care personnel.
These flowcharts were created to assist dentists and dental offices in making informed decisions concerning patient triage, evaluation and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are based on the best scientific information currently available to the ADA from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and scientific literature.
For more information on the ADA’s press release, visit here.
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