WINDOW OF HOPE APPEARS
Signett Sign’s Wally Sisetski paints a message of “Stay Strong Stay Safe” on a window of Willowgreen Dental on Saturday. Some Saskatoon dental offices will reopen today.
When Premier Scott Moe announced the province’s Re-open Saskatchewan plan last month, calls almost immediately began flooding in to dental and orthodontic offices. At that time, clinics — which had been closed as a result of the COVID -19 pandemic — didn’t know what care they would be able to provide on May 4, the day Phase One of the plan’s launch kicks in. Now that the College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CDSS) has rolled out a thorough list of measures, here are some important things to know when dental services reopen on Monday.
ONLY SOME WILL OPEN
Unlike what many initially thought — based on the premier’s address — resuming dental services has become more complicated than just opening doors. Restrictions from the College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan dictate that clinics must meet several strict requirements and can only provide services if they have the personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely do so.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
In recent weeks, dental services were limited to patients needing urgent care, and cases where there was bleeding, infections or swelling. Now, clinics can offer a broader scope of services, although they are prioritizing urgent care and will delay elective and non-urgent care. For clinics using drilling tools or procedures that produce water droplets, they will have to let the room settle for two hours before the room can be sanitized for the next patient. Some clinics may avoid these “high risk” services in lieu of “low risk” care.
“Is this going to affect the way clinic flow is? Absolutely. In the name of public safety, it has to,” said orthodontic specialist Dr. Mike Wagner of Cadman & Wagner Orthodontics in Saskatoon. “That’s why these standards and stipulations were put out: to make sure everyone is still protected. It’s still a new virus and we have to make sure everyone is protected every day.”
VULNERABLE PATIENTS
Clinics that open will need to designate certain times or days for patients who are particularly at risk if they contract COVID-19 to safely receive services, as stated in the pandemic protocols issued by the CDSS.
Wagner supports the protocols and applauds the CDSS for the new measures, but concedes it has made for an “incredible amount of stress” as business owners adapt to new protocols.
“It’s the most thorough document I’ve seen yet and I think it is an excellent basis for us to continue on,” he said, adding that “Saskatchewan was put at the forefront and the whole world is watching our work.”
COVID-19 POSITIVE PATIENTS CAN RECEIVE EMERGENCY CARE
If someone has a dental emergency but has tested positive for COVID-19, or is from a high-risk area for COVID-19, they can still receive care. Oral Surgery Saskatoon is exclusively treating patients that fall into the “level 3 emergencies” category.
SCREENING PROCESS
Patients with appointments will be screened when they arrive at their clinic. They will have their temperature checked and be asked a list of questions. If they show symptoms such as a cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing, the clinic will likely postpone the procedure and inform the local testing centre of the symptoms.