Our College, the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADA&C) and the College of Registered Dental Hygienists of Alberta (CRDHA) have developed Dental Practice Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic (the “Guidelines”).
The Guidelines are designed for use in the dental practice environment by oral health care providers (OHCP) who are regulated members of our College, the ADA&C and CDRHA. The information in the Guidelines is based on reducing the risk of spreading infection. In the Guidelines you will find:
- staff preparation including Occupational Health and Safety; employment considerations; screening; contact tracing; hand hygiene
- dental practice preparation including reception and waiting area; clinical and staff areas; receiving deliveries
- clinical practices and protocols including point-of-care risk assessment; aerosol generating procedures; PPE
- before the appointment including determining COVID-19 risk; COVID-19 risk level; vulnerable patients
- during the appointment
- after the appointment including record keeping; enhanced cleaning and disinfection; going home after a workday; emergent vs. urgent vs. non-urgent care
- resources including patient screening form; Alberta dental relaunch checklist
The Colleges worked together so that dental assistants, dentists and dental hygienists all have consistent information and expectations.
Dental Practice Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic replaces these documents:
- our COVID-19 Return to Non-essential Practice,
- ADA&C’s Expectations and Pathway for Patient Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- CRDHA’s COVID-19 Return to Work Guidelines for Dental Hygienists
We expect dental assistants to review, stay informed about and follow Dental Practice Guidelines during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It will be updated as the pandemic evolves and as new information becomes available.