As the current situation changes daily, there are certainly many mixed messages circulating regarding public safety during the ease of restrictions and businesses re-openings. We feel it is our duty, and in the best interest of our staff and patients, to closely follow guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), OSHA, MN Department of Health, American Dental Association, and Minnesota Board of Dentistry. All of these organizations recognize that dental offices cannot be considered your “average” business setting. The CDC has recently stressed the following regarding dentistry:
- Dental settings have unique characteristics that warrant additional infection control considerations.
- Postpone elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent dental visits.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, is spread primarily through respiratory droplets when an infected person (who may even be asymptomatic) coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Dentistry involves constant use of rotary instruments and air-water syringes that can easily aerosolize airborne infections, subsequently putting dental personnel and patients at great risk. Therefore, the need for extreme infection control protocol and personal protective equipment (PPE) use is unattested.
Due to low supplies of required PPE available to dentists at this time, the lack of tests that would allow quick testing of staff and patients for active infection, and the continual rise in Minnesota’s numbers of COVID-19 infection rate and hospitalizations, we feel it is imperative that our dental office continues to remain closed. We will therefore only be addressing dental emergencies at this time.
Not until the governing health agencies indicate that performing elective procedures on patients will not jeopardize the health of our patients and staff can we resume routine and elective procedures. Thank you for your patience. We know it has been both an uncertain and frustrating situation for everyone, but we want to keep your health, and the health of our staff, our top priority at this time and moving forward. Stay safe everyone!
Sincerely,
Drs. Rami and Susan Guirguis and Staff