Updated COVID-19 Procedures from ADA’s Call for Risk Assessments

The American Dental Association recently released updated procedures for COVID-19 dental offices, highlighting the need to assess risks. These new, updated office procedures will help provide dentists with key information to consider when assessing the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace and making decisions that best suit their individual practices, a said the ADA.

The key points of the update are as follows:

• OSHA requires hazard assessments. Dental offices must have a safety plan for exposure control and COVID-19. They should regularly repeat the hazard assessment as COVID-19 conditions change.
• Dentists should keep abreast of advice from federal, state, local, tribal and territorial health agencies and consider how to incorporate these recommendations and resources into specific workplace plans.
• Best practices in workplace hazard assessment and management should take an integrated approach, incorporating evidence-based scientific data in conjunction with psychosocial, state and community factors.
• Dentists will need to use their best professional judgment in making decisions.
• Screenings before appointment of patients are always necessary.
• Staff, patients and non-employees on site should be screened before entering the office, and people suspected or confirmed of COVID-19 should not be allowed to enter.

This updated dental office procedure provides updates to a toolkit and includes a risk assessment and a checklist for risk assessment.

More information is available on ADA News by clicking here.

(Source: American Dental Association)