Dentists and their teams have always taken precautions to ensure the safety of their patients. Now, in the midst of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, additional safety measures have been adopted at dental offices nationwide to protect patients from the COVID-19 virus. In fact, dentists throughout the country have treated over half a million dental emergencies with no reports of COVID-19 infection traced to a dental practice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  In spite of this remarkable statistic, however, there is still a significant number of patients who are afraid to visit their dentists and other healthcare providers. To build public confidence about the safety of dental practices, dentists in the U.S. have launched a brand new grassroots campaign #DentalSAFETY. 

“To date in the United States, clusters of healthcare workers positive for COVID-19 have been identified in hospital settings and long-term care facilities, but no clusters have yet been reported in dental settings or personnel.” –AACD

According to recent reports, a large population of patients are suffering from untreated dental issues due to fears from entering a dental office. Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. and half of all seniors reported delaying medical care in April due to fears of contamination at medical facilities, and the latest American Dental Association data reported average weekly patient visits were down 82% in early May. While concerns about safety are understandable, experts believe the health consequences of delaying needed dental care are an even greater risk.

The Mayo Clinic reports a clear linkage between dental health and overall health and well-being, including complications associated with extreme pain, infection, pregnancy, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and more. In addition, poor oral hygiene has also been linked to COVID-19 complications, particularly in patients suffering with diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

“Oral hygiene should be improved during a COVID-19 infection in order to reduce the bacterial load in the mouth and the risk of a bacterial superinfection. We recommend that poor oral hygiene be considered a risk to COVID-19 complications, particularly in patients predisposed to altered biofilms due to diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.”  –British Dental Journal

How dentists and others can join the #DentalSAFETY movement: 

1. Record a 1-minute video giving an example of how to mitigate risk through safety protocols; or record a 2-minute video sharing a patient safety story.
2. Post the video to preferred social media channels.
3. Include the hashtags: #DentalSAFETY, #DentalER, and #DentalHEROES
4. Tag relevant dental groups, schools, professional associations, fellow dentists, and healthcare professionals.

Learn how this dental team from Pacific Dental Services safely and successfully treated a medically compromised patient who was told by her cardiologist not to leave her home until there is a vaccine: 

Founded in 1994, Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country’s leading dental support organizations, providing supported autonomy that enables dentists to concentrate on clinical excellence and the highest levels of cost-effective comprehensive patient care. PDS originated the Private Practice+® model to enable dentists to focus on their passion: serving patients. PDS also pioneered the concept of Modern Dentistry so that dentists are equipped to combine advances in the latest technology with the best operational practices and procedures, highly skilled support staff and a commitment to ongoing training and education. PDS continues to grow, with over 800 supported dental offices across the United States and plans to expand into several new markets. PDS has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America 14 times. PDS supported dentists aim to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve and to develop Patients for Life™.

Learn more about the #DentalSAFETY
movement by visiting www.dentalsafety.care.

To learn more about PDS, click on links to their other articles:

• • DSO Opens 11 Practices in One Day and Surpasses 800th Supported Dental Practice Milestone
  • PDS® Foundation Continues to Demonstrate Culture of Service with $440,179 in Donated Dentistry in Ethiopia
  • What is the Owner Dentist Model and How Has it Contributed to PDS’ Latest Impressive Milestone?
  • PDS Enters New Market, Teams up with Baltimore Orioles, and Breaks Technology Records
  • The Group Dentistry Now Show: The Voice of the DSO Industry – Episode 3: New Special Needs Dentistry Clinic
  • Pacific Dental Services Foundation is Making a Difference in Special Needs Dentistry
  • DSO With a Deeply Rooted Culture of Service, Transforms a Community With Energy and Purpose
  • Large DSO Demonstrates its Commitment to Competitive Growth in the Oral Healthcare Industry
  • Which Dental Groups Practices, DSOs, and Dental Companies Made Inc. 5000’s 2018 List?
  • What Matters Most in Life? One DSO Gives their Answer
  • Sharing a Love of Service: A Young Dentist Reflects on Life as a Pacific Dental Services-Supported Dentist
  • These DSOs Take a Stand Against Oral Cancer
  • ‘INC 5000 2017’ lists Dental Group Practices & DSOs Among fastest-growing private companies in America
  • DSO Gives Back to Community One Smile at a Time
  • Pacific Dental Services Foundation and Sugar Land Modern Dentistry Partner to Provide Dental Care to Special Needs Community
  • DSO Foundation partners with Community Groups to Donate Dental Services
  • Pacific Dental Services Foundation partners with Autism Speaks and Concorde Career College to Provide Special Needs Dental Care Training
  • DSO Focuses on Special Needs Patients
  • Pacific Dental Services Reaches Milestone While Shattering Perception
  • Dental Support Organization Bill Unanimously Passes in Washington State

Sources: PDS, AACD, CDC, ADA

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