Dentist offices can reopen in SLO County. So when can you get your teeth cleaned?
San Luis Obispo County dental offices have been given the “yellow light” to reopen, but that doesn’t mean anyone can schedule an appointment or that all offices will open just yet.
Under Phase 1 of California’s shelter-at-home order, dental offices were asked to only see patients on an emergency basis and only if they had the proper protective equipment, Central Coast Dental Society spokesperson Dr. Lynn Sayre-Carstairs said.
This lead to the closure of most of the Central Coast Dental Society members’ practices, Sayre-Carstairs said, including Coast Periodontics where she works.
The association, which has about 400 dentists, orthodontists, and other specialty dental workers, serves San Luis Obispo County, Santa Maria and Guadalupe, according to its website.
Now that the state has moved to Phase 2, dental offices can resume business — but only if they have enough protective equipment on hand.
While most dental surgeons had enough personal protective equipment to handle any emergency patients, Sayre-Carstairs said, that was not the case for all specialties or the many general-practice dentists who handle routine care.
And that’s a major concern for a profession whose doctors, hygienists and assistants spend hours every day working inside patients’ mouths.
“We are so close to a patient for longer periods of time,” Sayre-Carstairs said. “If that person happens to be one of the unusual cases where they are shedding viral particles and they don’t know it so they’re being honest about having no symptoms, the dentists and the hygienists are so close that we have a very high probability of contracting the virus.”
Will your dentist office be open?
Before dental offices can even begin to reopen for non-emergency care, they must meet California’s personal protective equipment requirements. That’s something Sayre-Carstairs said most offices locally will not be able to do, because of two reasons.
First, new requirements call for more extensive protective equipment than was used previously by dentists.
“Prior to this virus, we weren’t required to have that level of equipment,” Sayre-Carstairs said. “Since we are supposed to have a two-weeks supply for ourselves and our staff, I would say that most dentists do not have that at this time and therefore they should not be open.”
Then, when the the virus first broke, many donated their PPE to first responders.
“When the virus first came through San Luis Obispo County, many dentists donated whatever kind of personal protective equipment we had, gowns, masks, booties, gloves of course, and we did that to give to the first responders who needed it desperately,” Sayre-Carstairs said.
Going forward, the state is strongly recommending that dental offices have at least a two-week supply of personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, face shields, goggles, and surgical masks.
To help stock up, she said, San Luis Obispo County began accepting personal protective equipment requests from dental offices about three weeks ago.
However, it was on a first-come, first-served basis, and several offices had to be turned away — leaving it up to the office to find another supplier.
Now, Sayre-Carstairs said the lack of equipment in dental offices across the state mostly stems from supply chain issues.
She said it can be difficult to determine which suppliers are reliable and which products are off-market and not up to standards until they have already purchased an order.
“We depleted ourselves for a good cause, and it’s just so unfortunate that the supply chain has issues that we cant replenish our own stock,” Sayre-Carstairs said.
Who can make an appointment now?
Now that they’re allowed to reopen, dental offices may reschedule appointments that had to be canceled and make new appointments for preventive care, Sayre-Carstairs said. They are not scheduling new standard cleaning appointments yet.
Preventive care refers to “conditions that are likely to lead to dental emergencies if treatment is not provided in a timely manner,” according to state guidelines.
For example, Sayre-Carstairs is a periodontist, which is a specialty branch of dentistry that deep cleans patients’ teeth. She said that those who need periodontal care often can become emergency patients without deep cleanings, so her work would be considered preventive.
Other patients who qualify for preventive care are those experiencing discomfort and anyone with bleeding or red gums.
“Preventive services such as topical fluoride application, sealants, and scaling, as well as minimally invasive restorative techniques, may be considered,” Public Health guidelines say.
All of this means that the process of reopening will be gradual.
Some, including the office of Dr. Michael Colleran, are now operating at regular hours. Dr. Michael Colleran’s office has implemented new procedures to protect patients and employees.have reopened with modifications, according to an email sent to The Tribune.
Others are not yet ready to resume wider services.
White Crest in Grover Beach, SLO Smiles in San Luis Obispo, and Garrett Orthodontics in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande are only open on an emergency basis, according to their websites.
Patients should check in with their dentist to find out what services they’re providing.
How will a trip to the dentist differ now?
As a result of coronavirus precautions, patients should expect to see some changes at the dentist office.
According to state guidelines, offices should require all staff to wear face masks and all patients to wear them while entering and waiting to be seen. The guidelines recommend that dental offices have a supply of face masks for patients who don’t bring their own.
The guidelines also require that all staff and patients be screened before entering the office. Sayre-Carstairs said she was told dental offices should ask patients questions about their health both the day before the appointment and upon arriving.
Dentists will also be expected to increase sanitation measures. All surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected after each patient, for example.
COVID-19 patients will not be allowed to have dental work done at offices.
The same applies to all forms of dentistry, from orthodontics to standard checkups.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Dr. Michael Colleran’s office is open and operational at their regular hours and has not asked patients over the age of 65 years old to refrain from going to the office.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
