As a dentist, you’re committed to providing quality health care to your community. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a chance for you to serve the community in a new—and urgent—way: by using your office as a coronavirus-testing site. Bryant Consultants, your dental industry experts, is here to explain why you should consider this opportunity if it becomes available to you.
How can your practice become a COVID-19 testing location?
On April 17, the American Dental Association sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, requesting, “federal recognition that licensed dentists may administer point of service tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.” The ADA justified this request on the basis that COVID-19 tests fall under the range of practice of a typical, licensed dentist. Federal recognition means dentists who conduct tests would qualify as “covered persons” under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. This qualification also could expend liability protection linked to the administration of FDA-authorized tests for the coronavirus.
The ADA letter observes the necessity of dentistry as it relates to overall public health. Approving dentists to conduct COVID-19 tests will protect the general public, and dental personnel as well, as it greatly diminishes the likelihood of infected but asymptomatic patients potentially coming into the office and transmitting the coronavirus.
The letter, written by ADA President Chad P. Gehani and Executive Director Kathleen T. O’Loughlin states, “It would add a layer of safety for both dental personnel and the patients they treat. This is important not only now—when most dentists are performing only urgent and emergency dental procedures—but also as the nation cautiously reopens.”
The reasons to consider becoming a testing site
COVID-19 testing would allow participating dental practices to optimize their stock of PPE, something that is especially crucial for the entire health care field during this pandemic. Approving dentists as coronavirus testing sites also would expand medical surge capacity nationwide, while also providing a safe environment for patients who may need tests but otherwise might seek them in overwhelmed emergency room departments. Plus, a general expansion of testing will make it possible for our society to return to normal routines with greater rapidity.
What to do if you want to become a testing site
Contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the health department in your state. Make sure, if you pursue this, to avoid the “gray market” of point-of-care tests for COVID-19. Instead, follow FDA guidance regarding testing procedures. Meanwhile, be patient; manufacturers and distributors are making it a priority to get tests to the areas where the need is greatest.
The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge for our society, including the dental industry. Bryant Consultants can help. We have decades of combined experience in the industry and use that expertise to help your practice meet its goals. As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we continue to provide consultation, training, and coaching and will continue to post relevant updates regarding the coronavirus pandemic. To ensure that you receive the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Call (877) 768-4799 to speak with one of our dental consultants.
