ACP COVID-19 Resource Center
The ACP is committed to supporting our members in this unprecedented time. We have gathered the below resources from reputable agencies and our fellow dental organizations to aid our members in decision making and planning next steps in response to the current pandemic.
Members can also utilize the ACP Communities to ask questions of fellow members, share their stories, and connect with other prosthodontists having to make difficult decisions.
Quick links: ACP Leadership ∙ Seeing Patients ∙ Private Practitioners ∙ Federal Response ∙ Informative Resources ∙ Vaccine Information
Last updated: March 21, 2022
VACCINE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
As vaccines for COVID-19 become available in the United States, the American Dental Association has put together several resources to help dental professionals navigate the new and developing information:
You can read a message regarding these resources from ACP President Dr. Mark C. Hutten here.
Seeing Patients
The ACP encourages our members to follow CDC, ADA, and state and local health official guidance regarding patient care.
The ADA offers a Return to Work Interim Guidance Toolkit & COVID-19 Hazard Assessment with recommendations before, during and after appointments to protect dentists, patients and staff.
The ADA recommends implementing these steps in your practice:
- Ask patients to arrive on time for their appointments, rather than too early, since that will minimize the amount of time they spend in your waiting room or reception area
- Remove magazines, reading materials, toys and other objects that may be touched by others and which are not easily disinfected
- Schedule appointments to minimize possible contact with other patients in the waiting room
The ADA also offers some guidance for patients to help them understand what visiting a dental professional may be like during the pandemic.
In response to an Aug. 3 statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding delaying “routine” oral health care, the ADA released the following:
“The American Dental Association (ADA) respectfully yet strongly disagrees with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to delay “routine” dental care in certain situations due to COVID-19.”
The ADA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated and reaffirmed their guidance for dental settings, which still allows for the delivery of care to patients when proper precautions and safety measures are followed.
The CDC updated their Guidance for Dental Settings on Dec. 4, 2020.
From ACP Leadership
"As a dental community, we are united in pursuit of health and wellness for our patients. This is why the ACP and the American Dental Association (ADA) are committed to providing you with up-to-date information regarding COVID-19," said 2020-2021 ACP President Dr. Mark C. Hutten. You can read a message from him here.
"We understand that you may be experiencing stress given the rapidly changing information and status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) both in the U.S. and abroad. We want you to know we are monitoring the situation closely, keeping those affected in our hearts, and are listening carefully to your questions and concerns," said ACP Immediate Past President Dr. Stephen I. Hudis. You can read his full letter to ACP membership here.
Here is a message from ACP Education Foundation Chair Dr. Karen Bruggers.
The ACP has also been proactively advocating for our members and other dental professionals.
We will continue to advocate for our members and the specialty through this pandemic and beyond.
Private Practitioners
Many ACP members own their own practices and/or manage staff.
See the Return to Work Toolkit from the American Dental Association for valuable guidance.
The CDC has also created this page of Information for Healthcare Professionals and updated their Guidance for Dental Settings.
The ACP recommends that business owners consult with their legal and/or human resources specialists for more detailed information regarding their specific situation.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requires private sector employers with fewer than 500 employees* and certain public sector employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. See the most recent list of FAQ's from the Department of Labor here.
*There might be some exceptions made for employers with less than 50 employees if the employer files a hardship exemption with the Secretary of Labor.
More information, including the mandatory posting, can be found at the Department of Labor’s webpage on COVID-19.
The National Law Review has written a digestible overview of the FFCRA that is available here.
Federal Response
As of Jan. 20, 2021, a new administration is in the White House. Their response to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be different compared to the former administration, and therefore changes are expected to the below information. We will update this section as information becomes available.
The CDC has created this page of Information for Healthcare Professionals and updated their Guidance for Dental Settings.
Past Actions:
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was enacted which includes the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act. More information is available at the Department of Labor (DOL).
A digestible overview of FFCRA was written by the National Law Review. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Small Business Exemption for School/Child Care Closure-Related Leave
Under the FFCRA, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for an exemption from providing paid sick leave and/or expanded family and medical leave due to the closure of a child’s school or place of care due to a public health emergency if doing so would jeopardize the viability of the business. The Department of Labor will further specify the criteria to meet the small business exemption in forthcoming regulations. However, the guidance states that small employers wishing to elect this exemption should document why their business meets the criteria to be set forth by the Department.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed and signed into law. There are many components to this bill, which is intended to provide federal support in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic ramifications.
The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act, put together by the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to resources.
How Businesses Can Use SBA Loans Under the CARES Act from Barnes & Thornburg LLP also has useful information.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has put together a helpful guide to assist small businesses in determining their eligibility for coronavirus related loans.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched a dashboard for the latest information regarding the Paycheck Protection Program.
Informative Resources:
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Summary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions, American Dental Association
- Return to Work Toolkit, American Dental Association
- Financial and Dental Benefit Considerations, American Dental Association
- COVID-19 and the American Workplace, Department of Labor
- Employee Rights Under FFCRA, Department of Labor
- FFCRA Notice Frequently Asked Questions, Department of Labor
- The Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
- Emergency Preparedness and Response: Coronavirus (COVID-19), U.S. Travel Association
- State and territorial health department websites
- Use of Povidone‐Iodine Oral Antiseptic Rinse to inactivate SARS‐CoV‐2, Journal of Prosthodontics
- Small Business Tools & Resources, Google
- Consult your local public health agencies