Dentists with the American Dental Association (ADA) are pressing the Trump administration for coronavirus testing kits for their patients.
The professional association — comprised of over 163,000 dentists nationwide — is calling on the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide testing kits so they can have the ability to test patients when the U.S. economy reopens.
Dental professionals have expressed deep concern about the possibility of interacting with asymptomatic patients. With the country’s current reported testing capacity, there is no way to determine whether or not this creates greater risks for everyone involved — dentists, dental assistants, staff members, and other patients.
The ADA has developed interim guidance on the PPE recommended in order to practice during this pandemic and minimize the risk of virus transmission. https://t.co/MgxfZDXEgQ pic.twitter.com/L6F64w0gvu
— ADA (@AmerDentalAssn) April 20, 2020
During an interview with The Hill, Noelle Dunn, a dentist and owner of Dunn Dental Group in Washington, D.C., shared her concerns about the possibility of the dental industry contributing to the spread of the virus.
“The last thing we want to do in the dental industry is be a spreader of COVID-19,” Dunn said. “We want to be part of the solution.”
Dunn went on to pitch an idea explaining how dentists could aid in the fight to combat the coronavirus.
“A way that could protect patients in a dental environment, and also protect staff, is to allow dentists to screen their well patients. When you go to the dentist, you’re not sick. We can do these rapid tests to see if there are people walking around out there who are asymptomatic and can control the spread of this.”
Because of the types of instruments used by dental professionals, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers them to be a very high-risk for exposure to coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the existence of aerosols is considered one of the biggest contributing factors in the possibility of exposure in the dental environment. The virus has been shown to survive on Aerosols, more commonly identified as droplets, for hours.
Instruments used for dental procedures typically create “large particle droplets of water, saliva, blood, microorganisms, and other debris,” according to the CDC. These particles can “spatter” and travel short distances, landing on clothing and different surfaces.
While surgical masks do provide some form of protection, masks do not rule out the possibility of inhaling infectious droplets.
Steven Guttenberg, president of the District of Columbia Dental Society, has noted that another issue with masks would likely be the reported supply shortage.
“Dentists typically wear a mask and wear eye protection. The mask is one of these simple throw-away things. Very few have N95 respirators and would have trouble getting them right now,” Guttenberg said.
Congressional members, who are also dentists, have also echoed similar concerns about health risks and are pushing for testing kids in dental offices.
Some states already have plans to begin reopening as coronavirus cases and the death toll in the U.S. continue to rise.