NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Some feel businesses in Connecticut are not being permitted to open soon enough, while others feel just the opposite.
The latter group would include dental hygienist, who say May 20 is too soon begin offering cleanings and other elective procedures.
Their biggest concern is aerosols, meaning the spray that comes up from your mouth when dentistry is being performed.
Those aerosols travel throughout the office," said Meg Zadrowski, a hygienist for six years. "So, there is no way to prevent those from traveling to other operatories, while other patients are laying there with their mouths open."
"Aerosol comes out of the mouth and it lingers in the air for minutes, sometimes even hours," said a hygienist, who did not wish to share her name.
A Yale Medicine infectious diseases expert says the virus can be aerosolized for perhaps 90 minutes, but the virus can live on surfaces for much longer.
"It can live on, we think on cardboard, actually live virus, for you know 24 hours," said Dr. Jaimie Meyer. "It can live on plastics and metals for eight hours."
A dentist, who asked we not share their identity, says their practice has upgraded its suction units and will less frequently use equipment that causes spray from the mouth. But, hygienists say they should be in phase four of the state’s reopening. Not phase one.
"Dental hygienists, given their proximity to the patient, as the well as the potential for the aerosolization, they are certainly at higher risk than most people returning to work," said Dr. Meyer.
During Governor Lamont’s press conference on Friday afternoon, it was stated that dental offices may begin providing elective dental procedures when they are comfortable, provided they have appropriate PPE, are following the American Dental Association’s “Return to Work Interim Guidance Toolkit,” and have prepared their staff by having conversations about the new strategies that will be put into place.
“Oral health is important to overall health, and dental offices must prepare themselves and their teams to ensure the health and safety of everyone who works in or visits a dental office,” said Dr. Tam Le, CSDA President.
Among the key components of the ADA Toolkit:
- Infection Control Protocols. Dental offices already have strong infection prevention protocols in place, based on the best-available scientific evidence. Dental offices will continue these infection control standards and incorporate new CDC, OSHA and ADA recommendations.
- Use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment. Dental offices must have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), masks and gowns, prior to resuming elective procedures.
- Open Communications with the Entire Dental Team. Prior to dental offices seeing patients for elective procedures dentists should lead their team in conversations about their concerns, discuss the new strategies to be implemented, and the reasons behind them. Team members must feel comfortable that precautions are being taken in the dental office.
“Dentists who have the appropriate screening, social distancing, PPE and infection control protocols in place should use their best judgement in resuming elective dental procedures,” explained Dr. Le.
The CSDA encourages dentists and dental offices to make sure they are well prepared and following all the ADA, CDC and OSHA guidelines before opening their doors to all elective dental procedures.
Josh Geballe, the state's Chief Operating Officer, said he during Monday afternoon's briefing by the Governor that he would be creating a small working group of hygienists and members of the CSDA to work through concerns the hygienists have.