A: The short answer to your question for now is no. No non emergency dental care is being provided. According to the New York State Health Department, dental offices are among the list of non-essential services put on pause until at least April 29. Of course this date is subject to change. This does not mean however that you cannot contact your dentist about any dental problem you are experiencing. Most dentists have not completely closed their offices and are open for emergency care. Some dental questions may even be able to be handled through “teledentistry”. It is up to your dentist to decide if an actual in person visit should take place.

The dental setting is one in which there is a high potential contact with saliva and aerosols. In light is this the dental industry together with agencies like the American Dental Association, the CDC, OSHA, and other regulatory bodies have continuously worked to make infection control guidelines to ensure that patients as well as dental healthcare workers are kept safe in the dental setting. The last very large paradigm shift in the dental setting happened in the 1980’s with the AIDS epidemic and the institution of disposable gloves and masks for each patient. With the onset of COVID-19, another shift may be in the works. Be prepared to see more personal protective gear being worn by your dental health care providers as well as more equipment specifically intended to contain aerosols. In the dental setting, aerosols are the very fine “spatter” arising from using ultrasonic tooth cleaning tools, high speed drills and the like.

Be assured that dentists are prepared to do what is necessary to make sure that dental visits are safe. As you wait for your dentist to get up and running again, remember that prevention is the best thing you can do to avoid dental emergencies. Be sure to keep up with brushing and flossing twice a day!