The entire world currently is fighting COVID-19, which is affecting people and businesses from all walks of life. The dental industry is no exception. The World Health Organization now deems it a pandemic, as an increasing amount of people test positive. This virus has been reported in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. As the United States takes measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the American Dental Association, on March 16, issued recommendations that dentists should postpone any and all elective procedures for the next three weeks.
At Bryant Consultants, we understand this is a time of uncertainty for everyone. That’s why we wanted to put together this guide on how to differentiate emergency care from non-essential procedures, and ways to help you continue providing needed care for your patients.
What classifies as emergency care?
Dental emergencies refer to any situation where a patient needs care in order to relieve significant pain, save a damaged tooth, or stop bleeding. Emergency dental care also may be needed due to an infected tooth, which could quickly become life threatening.
The ADA released a guide on essential vs. non-essential procedures during this time of uncertainty for orthodontists, general dentists, periodontists, oral surgeons, and pediatric dentists.
Any of the following treatment situations qualify as essential:
- Moderate or severe levels of tooth decay
- A fractured tooth, if it is causing pain
- Crowns, if needed to repair areas of substantial decay or complete a root canal
- An actively infected tooth
- Any dental situation that is causing significant pain
- Swelling or cellulitis, which can be a warning sign of an infection at the tip of a tooth root
- Facial swelling caused by a toothache or infected tooth
- Broken wires or brackets, for patients with braces
- Broken dentures or other removable tooth replacements
Periodontal therapy also may be classified as an emergency if the patient also suffers from a serious pre-existing condition like diabetes or cardiac disease.
We encourage you to prescreen any patient, even those seeking emergency dental care, for symptoms of COVID-19 using these recommended guidelines. These include fever, a dry cough, and shortness of breath. You also will want to check to see if any patient has visited or is close to someone who has traveled to an area where community transmission has occurred.
Make Use of Technology
Now is the time when dentists can and should consider expanding their accessibility to provide diagnoses remotely through telemedicine. This can be especially valuable for orthodontists, who can meet with patients virtually. Telehealth, through FaceTime or another HIPPA-approved app, can be a tremendous tool.
Teledentistry is a method of delivering patient care remotely. Providers interested in making use of this technology should use the CDT-D9995 code to initiate a asynchronous real-time encounter. That’s a fancy way of saying the interaction with the dentist will be live and in real-time for both parties.
Dentists with the appropriate technology can have their patients submit photos of their teeth and mouth for you to assess. Advise the patient to take photographs in good lighting, and use a spoon to lift back the lip and gum, and take a picture of each side of the mouth, as well as the center or front teeth.
Information is Key
In these uncertain times, it’s important to stay informed, especially as a healthcare provider. The ADA is continually monitoring the situation and has a specific web page dedicated to COVID-19, the ADA Coronavirus Resource Center for Dentists. We encourage all practitioners to visit that site regularly for updates.
We recognize these are troubling, unprecedented times for everyone. Bryant Consultants is here to help you navigate this time for your practice, your patients, and your employees. We will continue to provide updates as news develops—and it will. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so that you can stay informed on the latest updates on COVID-19 and their impact on the dental industry as we receive them.
Remember that we remain accessible and available to our current clients through our “Coaching From a Distance” program. We provide consultation, training, and coaching to help improve the operations of your practice so that you can provide exceptional results to your patients.
